With the new Scottish Premiership season underway for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers, the Hoops boss has had a great start so far.
With four wins out of four in the league, including the 3-0 win over Rangers, Rodgers has also progressed Celtic into the next round of the League Cup as well.
However, whilst domestic dominance will always be the focus for Celtic, Paul Lambert believes the club should be setting their sights further.
With Celtic finding out their Champions League opponents last week, Lambert says now is the time for Rogers to take the next step with Celtic.
Champions League progression for Celtic
Celtic are set to open up their campaign with a home fixture against Slovan Bratislava on the 18th of September.
And it is here where Lambert believes Celtic should be looking to get their league phase off to a winning start.
Lambert told the BBC, “Celtic can’t take their eye off the ball domestically, which I’m pretty sure for Brendan Rodgers, he’s too professional for that in the league.”
“Scottish football gets criticism at certain times but Celtic can only beat what’s in front of them.
“What everybody wants is to try and make a dent in the Champions League and the new format gives you that chance. Celtic’s next step is to do that.
“You can just feel it when you walk through the door of the club, the infrastructure there and the whole football club, it’s really vibrant and Brendan’s got a good team there, that’s for sure.”
Lambert’s Celtic vs Borussia Dortmund prediction
Celtic have faced Borussia Dortmund on four occasions before and all of these ties were in the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately, the Hoops have lost three and won just one which was a 2-1 first-round home win against the German giants in September 1987.
Since then Celtic have lost 2-0, 1-0 and 2-1 to the German club. Obviously with history at both clubs, Lambert is torn as he gives his prediction on who will win the Champions League in Germany in October.
Lambert continued, “I’m going for a draw and a friendly game, that’s the best I can hope for.
“I was over in Dortmund last week watching them and they were very good, really quite exciting and the atmosphere was electric.
“The great thing about that game is it’s two clubs who get on really well, the supporters get on really well. It’s two special clubs.”
Last season’s Champions League finalists will be a tough nut to crack and if Celtic can get out of the Westfalenstadion with anything, that would be a superb result.
But first, Celtic and Rodgers can’t look too far ahead and need to see off Bratislava if they have any ambition from qualifying from the league phase this season.
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