Frustration is a natural and understandable reaction to really any Celtic defeat, never mind one as chaotic and seemingly self-inflicted as last night’s 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
On its face, the result in Germany could be attributed to more errant finishing, and two individual errors in the lead-up to Leipzig’s first and second goals, with Ange Postecoglou’s side succumbing to familiar weaknesses at this level. However, there’s arguably more of a balance to be struck from looking at the wider context of Celtic’s Champions League campaign this season.
For Celtic to routinely secure results at this level in 2022, it requires perfection, in everything from executing the manager’s plan, to defensive shape, to finishing, and even that still might not be enough, such is the gulf in resources – the absence of first-choice central defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt certainly didn’t help.
Should he complete his proposed Chelsea transfer, Christopher Nkunku looks to be worth every penny, the £50m-rated forward menaced Celtic with his movement and footwork, scoring the opener and having another disallowed for offside. Even if Celtic had been flawless out of possession, a moment of magic from the irrepressible Frenchman could easily have swung the game in Leipzig’s favour regardless.
Whilst Celtic brought on James McCarthy and a now-ageing James Forrest as fresh legs in Germany, Leipzig were also able to call upon Germany international Marcel Halstenberg, Denmark regular Youssuf Poulsen amongst others, from the bench. There is an obvious gap in the available talent on offer for historically big clubs like Celtic in small leagues scrapping for their place, and those with sustained corporate investment in superior competitions.
Even then, for all the tribulations of recent seasons with seemingly endless Russian aggression in Ukraine disrupting something as comparatively trivial as football, Shakhtar are able to boast a generational talent in Mykhaylo Mudryk, who will surely soon trade his homeland for a transfer to a team in a top five league. Real Madrid’s embarrassment of talent needs little introduction, many of whom boasting trophy cabinets superior to that of most top flight football clubs, never mind fellow professionals.
However chastening it might feel for fans who can remember glory days of Martin O’Neill’s and arguably Gordon Strachan’s Celtic sides in European competition, the deck is stacked against the club now and the seats at the table of European football’s elite competition have lessened.
This isn’t to say that a club like Celtic should be happy to make up the numbers in the Champions League or be content with a single result from six group games, should they manage one, but that analysing results like last night’s in isolation can be unproductive, or at least misleading.
It should not be forgotten that Celtic were comprehensively knocked out of the Europa Conference League by Bodo/Glimt barely eight months ago. Whilst fine margins have determined the three Champions League group games to varying degrees, Celtic have not been embarrassed as they often have in recent seasons against elite or even mid-tier European sides, there has remained an underlying competitive edge. Undeniable progress has been made, even if it doesn’t end up translating into a place in the knockout phase this season, though two wins in their next two games would secure this.
Last night’s defeat in Leipzig was frustrating, and Celtic will doubtlessly lose similar games in similar fashion in the years to come, but Celtic remain on the right track under Postecoglou, and there’s life in their Champions League campaign, yet.
In other news: The new challenge facing Postecoglou’s Celtic against St Johnstone and beyond
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