Jamie Carragher says Celtic are ‘perfect example’ in Champions League, Gary Neville disagrees

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Celtic’s Champions League adventure has been a rather interesting one so far.

On the one hand, Celtic conceded seven goals to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two in what was a nightmare evening for all involved.

But then Brendan Rodgers masterminded Celtic to a stunning victory over RB Leipzig – a game many believe is one of the club’s best-ever performances in Europe.

Thankfully, the Bhoys only had to play Dortmund once, with the new Champions League format ensuring that is the case because, if it was the old group stages, then you worry what would have happened during the reverse fixture.

Perhaps the same old issues would have reared their ugly heads, with the team, for far too long now, not even getting out of the group stages and having no Europe beyond Christmas.

But all of that has now changed and Jamie Carragher is a huge fan.

Jamie Carragher says Celtic are the ‘perfect example’ of why the new Champions League format works

As of this moment, Celtic are heading towards the knockout stages of the Champions League – they will play a two-legged play-off game to try and reach the round of 16.

This new format has allowed them to do that and Carragher thinks Celtic are the ‘perfect example’ as to why this change from the powers at UEFA was the correct one.

In terms of club size, the champions of Scotland can match anyone across Europe, but from a financial standpoint, there is a huge gulf and it shows in the performances.

But Carragher thinks it has all changed on its head now, as he told It’s Called Soccer.

“I love it,” said Carragher about liking the new Champions League format. “To be honest, it’s not because we do it really.

“When it was first proposed, I was excited about it because the Champions League group stage had its day. When the Champions League first started and Gary (Neville) was playing in it in the early to mid nineties. You were getting to a stage where, say Sir Alex Ferguson, if he had a league game, he was leaving three or four players out because he’s got the big Champions League game midweek.

“And then it flipped. It got to the stage where the Premier League games were that big and important, and this is when I was playing in the Champions League and we were doing well. You were winning games with ease in the group stages and you were probably qualified after four games. Champions League games, certainly matchday five and six, were almost getting treated like a Carabao Cup game. The power of the Premier League and the revenue. The squads we had.

“What this has done is made every game matter. You have the extra two games in there. I like the fact that as well, when you look at a team like Celtic is the perfect example, where everybody has got a couple of games against teams of their level, so it gives them a chance to win a game. You see teams in groups with one point after five or six games. Just getting battered.”

Gary Neville unsure about new Champions League format

Gary Neville won the Champions League twice under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and was at the heart of it when the group stages were thriving.

That includes Shunsuke Nakamura’s stunning free-kick in 2006 during Celtic’s 1-0 win against Manchester United.

The former right-back admits that he ‘hasn’t connected’ with this new league phase and is unsure about it all following Carragher’s comments.

“I haven’t connected with it as much, to be honest, partly because I don’t work on it as intensely as Carra does and he is doing it every other week,” said Neville.

“Even when I have watched the games and there is a big English team playing. You are watching a big game, Arsenal v Inter, but without really the jeopardy of thinking they have lost this, then they can’t get through to the knockout phases, knowing they could make mistakes.

“I felt like I was watching big games, but not really with the jeopardy in there. The same sometimes occurred in the Champions League group phase of four teams. When two teams dominated and were well ahead. I get the fact it will get really exciting in the seventh and eighth games. But I thought you always had that in the groups of four. You had some last-day games that were really important and teams could get knocked out – the group phase as it was; was struggling a little bit. But I haven’t quite connected with this in the same way I thought I would either. I am a little uncertain.”