Celtic have enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign that has yielded genuine progress on the Champions League front that supporters have been crying out for.
Heading into the new format, the Bhoys spent over £30 million on eight summer signings as Brendan Rodgers freshened up the squad with the aim of securing a knockout playoff phase berth at the least.
At the halfway point, it is safe to say Celtic have put themselves back on the map in the Champions League after claiming seven points across four matches.
An opening night victory over Slovan Bratislava followed by a drubbing in Dortmund set the scene for two pivotal matches against Atalanta and RB Leipzig, where points were essential to further their qualification quest.
Looking back, a solid point in Bergamo, followed by the Bhoys’ stunning win over Leipzig last week, have put Scotland’s sole representative within touching distance of reaching their aim, with another quartet of fixtures still to play.
Reviewing their performance so far, Johan Mjallby has picked out his standout result from his old side’s exploits on the European scene.
Johan Mjallby’s verdict on Celtic in the Champions League
Speaking on the Scottish Football Social Club, Mjallby pointed to Celtic’s resilient 0-0 draw away to Atalanta as their most impressive outcome in the Champions League.
Explaining his choice, he said: “They were outstanding (vs Leipzig), something we would probably expect from them at home regardless of who they play in the Champions League, that they’re going to have a chance to get a win and three points.
“I was more impressed by the point in Atalanta. Rodgers will never say that he’s going to park the bus, but they had to to a certain degree against a really strong team.
“After that embarrassing defeat against Dortmund, it’s not embarrassing to lose to Dortmund, but 7-1 was a wee bit of a stretch and something that’s never nice as a coach or as a player.
“It’s all about the reaction and they way they have reacted since then, it’s really, really impressive and they’ve been outstanding. Everything is going in the right way at the moment from Brendan and the players, but we expect them, especially at home, to always have a chance against the big guns.”
Celtic have Champions League destiny in their hands
By no means is the job done yet, but Celtic have four exciting fixtures against Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys and Aston Villa to fulfil before the league phase concludes.
As it stands, ten points is more than likely enough to secure progression. In short, the Bhoys will be involved in the playoff by virtue of one more win or three draws, assuming results elsewhere go to plan.
Although Celtic are unlikely to get complacent at what is still an early stage, they have their destiny in their own hands, which is all you can ask for.
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