There’s no getting away from it – Celtic’s 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League stings.
There was so much optimism going into the match. Nine wins from nine, a towering European performance on the opening night, and significant confidence projected by Brendan Rodgers and his players.
It promised to be a bright new dawn for Celtic in Europe. Nobody expected victory, but many thought that the Scottish champions could be competitive against last year’s tournament finalists.
In the end, that was a naive hope. Dortmund repeatedly punished Celtic mistakes and dismantled the Bhoys’ backline, dishing out the kind of beating that we all feared deep down.
There are no real excuses. Yes, the Germans have resources well beyond the Bhoys, but Brendan Rodgers’ side did not turn up to show the best of themselves. The criticism that is coming is well-earned.
While the team and staff undoubtedly have to analyse what went wrong closely, supporters have two options: stare into the abyss or consider the bigger picture.
Celtic’s Champions League job is clear
With three points in the bag against Slovan Bratislava, Celtic’s tournament is still very much alive. The heavy defeat against Dortmund feels bad, but ultimately, it was a game we didn’t expect to win and it doesn’t change the course that the team are on.
We already know that Champions League projections suggest nine points will more than likely be enough to progress into the top 24 playoffs, while ten points all but guarantee it.
Celtic have a simple task now. The team must have at least six points on the board when Swiss side Young Boys arrive at Celtic Park on 22nd January. They can’t let things come down to the final matchday away to English Premier League side Aston Villa.
If we have that six points ahead of Young Boys, then we’ll find out if Rodgers’ side has the mettle to finish the job with a home win and push the club through for the first time in over a decade. It’d be a great position to be in, and it’s very achievable.
Four games to find a European win
The upcoming match away to Italian side Atalanta is already looking daunting. It will give fans the same fears as Dortmund, and realistically, the home team will likely be winning that.
Celtic have a much different dynamic at home in Europe, so despite RB Leipzig being similarly dangerous, there’ll be renewed hope that Rodgers’ side can be competitive. Three points is far from guaranteed, though, and Leipzig will likely be favourites for the contest.
Then there’s Club Brugge at Celtic Park on 27th November, and this now appears to be the key match around which the entire campaign rotates. Win that, and it’s game on. Anything less than a victory and we’re suddenly relying on picking up a result on the road.
That could come against Dinamo Zagreb, but it’s still a tall order to win away at this level, even if the opponents are less illustrious than Dortmund.
Plenty of thrills and frights are ahead, but there must be a belief that the end goal is still possible.
Against the Germans, Celtic again found out what happens at the elite level when you perform less than your best. That kind of horror show can’t happen again. We simply have to stop seeing these hammerings.
It will be debated whether that comes from a change in tactical approach to away matches or simply better recruitment and player performance.
Through all that noise, Celtic must regroup and stay focused on the prize of six more points. We need to win at all costs, and the players must have that fighting attitude, or it will be a long, long tournament that is endured rather than enjoyed.
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