Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin shuts down what’s being said about Celtic with big compliment

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Borussia Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin says it isn’t fair to label Celtic as underdogs for the upcoming Champions League meeting between the two sides.

Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys travel to Germany on Tuesday for their toughest test of the season so far.

There’s a lot of confidence flowing through the Celtic group right now after nine wins from nine in all competitions, including a rousing 5-1 victory against Slovan Bratislava in their opening European match.

Still, playing last season’s Champions League finalists away from home is a daunting prospect and not many people are giving the Scottish champions much hope of a victory.

Sahin knows what he’s coming up against, however, and gave a big thumbs up to what he’s seen from the Bhoys so far this season.

Nuri Sahin delivers verdict on Celtic ahead of Dortmund

The head coach said in a pre-match press conference when asked about Celtic’s underdog status: “You’re talking about a team who haven’t lost for many games and haven’t even lost a goal in their league. They were very dominant in their first match in the Champions League.

“What can you say about Celtic? They are a very prestigious club with amazing talent in their squad and a fantastic coach. It will be a challenge for us, but at the same time a big challenge, a huge challenge, which they didn’t have this season, playing in our stadium.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t think it’s fair to call them underdogs, to be honest.”

Dortmund boss is a big fan of Celtic star Kyogo

When asked about Celtic’s specific dangers, Sahin was quick to point out Kyogo Furuhashi as the team’s ‘very smart’ attacking weapon.

He continued: “Furuhashi is not a typical striker like we are used to, a big one. But he is very smart, and I really like how he moves off the ball, the timing of his runs. I see a very smart guy there tactically.”

Kyogo scored his third and fourth goals of the season at the weekend. He is consistently finding space and opportunities against opponents, also combining well with teammates in quick transitions.

He’s likely to start in Germany despite Adam Idah finding form from the bench and many fans are hoping the Japanese star can exploit any deficiencies in a defence that Sahin himself admits has problems right now.

It’s clear, however, that Dortmund aren’t taking Celtic lightly. It’s going to take a massive performance to return to Scotland with a positive result.