Celtic’s midweek objective is to ensure one of the most memorable matches in their illustrious European history is not the sum of this Champions League campaign. The 3-3 draw with Manchester City in Glasgow resonated across Europe, such was the entertainment value on offer. Celtic’s display in that clash was even more commendable given the trouncing they had encountered at the Camp Nou to open Group C. Now comes the key part in respect of making progress; the first of back-to-back games with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
“We’re here to win, tomorrow night in particular,” Brendan Rodgers said on Tuesday. “In our home games we want to ensure we can get a victory. I think we always felt if we could be in European football after Christmas then that would be fantastic. The players in a very short space of time have made a lot of great strides. This competition was always going to help us on the journey in terms of development of players.
“You saw the performance against Manchester City. It was a really high level. We showed that we can compete at this level but you’ve got to then back that up. Our home games are always going to be very important for us. We hope we can produce the same performance as our last game here but get the right result. We were obviously disappointed we didn’t get the win in the end [against City] but the performance level was particularly pleasing.”
Rodgers is of the belief Celtic are in the hardest group on offer. “This year’s Champions League experience was going to be great learning for us and from when we played against Manchester City we are a better team,” the manager added. Celtic are also boosted by the availability of a full squad, with Moussa Dembélé seeking to enhance his blossoming reputation in attack.
Barcelona, and even the name of the opposition there provides a mitigating circumstance, has been the only meaningful setback of Rodgers’ Celtic reign. This is a mutually beneficial scene; they have been reinvigorated under the Northern Irishman, who himself has seen his career reanimated after the wounding circumstances that marked the closing of his time at Liverpool.
Rodgers, inevitably, will return to England’s top flight before too long. For now, he is revelling in this Celtic experience. “This is a very, very difficult place for an opponent to come,” Rodgers said. “There’s absolutely no doubt about it. It’s renowned throughout the world, Celtic Park.
“I always feel it’s the players on the field who spark off the supporters. I think the intensity and passion here is incredible. It does take your breath away, the game and the atmosphere that’s created.
“There’s a real good vibrancy, positivity around the club, spirit within the team and in the stands. Together we have to keep making these strides forward and big games like this allow you to hopefully do that.”
Celtic may even be hosting Mönchengladbach at the ideal time. The German club’s away form in European football’s prime competition is poor. They lie ninth in the Bundesliga after seven matches, having won only once in their last four. More pertinent, perhaps, is the list of players André Schubert cannot call upon due to injury or illness; Thorgan Hazard, Raffael, Andreas Christensen and Fabian Johnson fall into that category. Celtic, perhaps surprisingly, remain firm underdogs with the bookmakers.
“They might have one or two players missing but they’re still going to be a very good team,” Rodgers said. “Offensively they’ve always got numbers around the ball. They like to work, they like to press, so it should be a really good game. For us we need to try and find the solutions to exploit that.
“They’ve shown in their domestic league that they’ve been growing over the last few seasons.”
Celtic, very quickly, have done likewise. Now for a pivotal test.
Possible teams
Celtic (4-2-3-1) Gordon; Lustig, Sviatchenko, Touré, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Forrest, Rogic, Sinclair; Dembélé.
B Mönchengladbach (3-2-3-2) Sommer; Korb, Vestergaard, Elvedi; Strobl, Kramer; Traoré, Dahoud, Wendt; Stindl, Hahn.
