As we gear up to face KR Reykjavik at Celtic Park tonight, it’s a game that could be vital for one Odsonne Edouard.
It may only be the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and a tie Celtic are expected to win comfortably. However, for Edouard, it could be a stepping stone towards a big opportunity to rectify his one Celtic failure.
There’s not a lot that he hasn’t done in Glasgow since his initial loan move to Celtic from PSG.
League titles? Check. Scottish Cup? Check. Betfred Cup? Check. Trebles? Check. Top goalscorer? Check.
Yup, French Eddy has done it all. Well, not quite.
Comparisons are consistently made between the Frenchman and his countryman Moussa Dembele. The latter excelled for two years at Celtic Park before leaving for Lyon in a mega-money £19.7million deal (BBC).
Yet there is one difference between the pair that still sets Dembele ahead of him with regards to his Parkhead achievements – a successful Champions League campaign.
Dembele netted against Borussia Monchengladbach, Manchester City (x2), and PSG respectively. To sum it up, he proved he could shine against Europe’s elite.
French Eddy hasn’t yet been given that same chance. The club have yet to reach the group stages of the Champions League since his first year in Glasgow. Even then, Edouard was third choice behind Dembele and Leigh Griffiths respectively.
Champions League qualification has proved elusive
After signing permanently in a £9m deal from PSG in the summer of 2018 (Sky Sports), Celtic and Edouard failed to qualify for the Champions League groups. AEK Athens dumped us out back in the 2018/19 campaign, whilst CFR Cluj managed the same last season.
This year has to be different. And Edouard could do with making it so before he leaves the club. Goals at Champions League level is the only box the centre-forward hasn’t ticked, and my goodness it’s an important one.
As things stand, there has been nothing concrete in terms of offers for Odsonne. As Celtic fans, that’s brilliant to hear.
But he must be looking at Dembele with some level of envy. Moussa is now in the Champions League semi-finals having once again bagged a brace against Man City in last weekend’s quarter-finals.
That move undoubtedly came as a direct result of Dembele netting against some of the best teams Europe had to offer whilst playing in green-and-white.
If Edouard is to reach those same levels without the need of another stepping stone after Celtic, he could do with replicating those feats. Whether we like it or not, the biggest clubs won’t come sniffing for goals against Premiership opposition.
He’s done just about everything there is to achieve in Scotland. Europa League goals. Derby day goals. Title-winning goals.
Now, it’s time to add Champions League goals to that glittering Celtic career of his. He may just find it boosts the profile of clubs in for him.
In other news, a former Celtic player could be given an international call-up just two months after leaving Celtic.
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