Celtic's batteries are low but this team deserves shot at its Champions League glory

After setting up opportunity with impressive results, play-offs are within reach by beating Young Boys

The record books will not have a cup-final asterisk for Celtic's Champions League tie with Young Boys next to it, but they ought to. On the eve of a potentially historic evening for the undisputed kings of Scottish football, both manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Callum McGregor recognised the prize on offer for Celtic against the Swiss side.

There will be no crown for Celtic should they prevail against Young Boys, but in many respects this may mean more than recent silverware. Celtic have craved progression to the knock-out stages of Europe's premier competition for 12 years. The last time they rubbed shoulders with European royalty after the group stages was in the 2012/13 season, when a win over Spartak Moscow secured them a last-16 date with Juventus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McGregor was a ballboy for Celtic during that campaign and guiding the team into such an environment would be a feather in an already plumed cap. "You want to keep testing yourself at the highest level," the 31-year-old said, "and Champions League certainly is that. We want to be up there and mixing it with the big boys."

Celtic train ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League match withCeltic train ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League match with
Celtic train ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League match with | SNS Group

Celtic have put themselves in an excellent position to achieve progression in this revamped tournament. Taking advantage of a reasonable draw, they have defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1 and RB Leipzig 3-1 in Glasgow and recovered admirably on the road after losing 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund by taking 0-0 draws from Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb. Some would view drawing 1-1 at home to Club Brugge as a poor result but coming back from a calamitous own goal from Cameron Carter-Vickers to earn a point should be seen as a positive.

As a result of all this, Celtic sit on nine points in this 36-team monster league. The top eight automatically advances to the last 16 and that appears beyond Celtic, even if they were to defeat Young Boys and then Aston Villa next week. But a place in the top 24 is well in Celtic's grasp. Going into gameweek seven in 21st place, a win over the Swiss moves them on to 12 points. Mathematicians far wiser than this scribe say that 11 is the magic number to assure a crack at the play-off round.

Celtic deserve this shot at glory. When they were eviscerated in Dortmund back on October 1, many had written their chances off. Rodgers has tweaked his team's mindset in the Champions League since and they have played with more pragmatism. The manager spoke of his team maturing during the campaign but so too as he. Tactically, Celtic look far more adept at this level.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rodgers pointed to the draw in Bergamo and the statement-making win over Leipzig as examples of the growth within the Celtic dressing-room this term. "Every situation for you really is a learning," Rodgers said of his team. "I just think maturity comes from the experiences. It was very easy after the Dortmund game to go absolutely mad, but that's not the case, especially when you're working with a group that is giving you everything every single day.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers oversees training.Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers oversees training.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers oversees training. | SNS Group

"It comes from recognising in the game where if you cannot win it then do everything you can to not lose it. That doesn't mean stop attacking, it just means be cuter in the game. So, for example you go into Atalanta - that proves that you can actually defend at the highest level of this competition.

"So, when you produce that maturity and that type of performance, that makes you feel good. So you know you can do it. So I think it's mostly experience and time and support. Your actions always will represent your development. From my own view of seeing them since I've come here, seeing that development and the consistency that they've shown, it would be a great sign that 'yeah, you can actually do it.'"

You don't get free hits in the Champions League - but this tie is as presentable an assignment that one could pick. Young Boys are bottom of the standings on zero points. They cannot qualify. They returned to action after a winter break in their domestic league at the weekend and drew 0-0 with Winterthur. They sit eighth in the standings. Their manager Giorgio Contini - their third of the season - will take charge of his first Champions League match, only appointed on December 18.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So this feels like it is in Celtic's hands, even if their own domestic form has come down a notch since the turn of the year. Rodgers, however, cautioned against complacency. "You have to respect every team at this level," he said. "I know there'll be lots of noise around the record and where they're at, but they're a team that won the Swiss League last season by 12 points and obviously it hasn't gone so well for them this season. The games that we've watched, they are what you'd expect a team of this level to have, athletic ability and quality."

Celtic's best Champions League night this season came against RB Leipzig.Celtic's best Champions League night this season came against RB Leipzig.
Celtic's best Champions League night this season came against RB Leipzig. | SNS Group

Rodgers also admitted "that this is about us". Parkhead will be rocking, but also expectant. A fast start could blow Young Boys away. Celtic's recent relationship with fans has been slightly fractured, with grumbles about performance levels. "I think it’s about creating the environment and the ambience to really push the players," remarked Rodgers on the supporters. "It’s up to us in the game to really go and play with that speed and quality that we’ve shown at this level, especially at home.”

This will be Celtic's eleventh game in 31 games since having a full week off between winning the Premier Sports Cup and drawing 0-0 with Dundee United at Tannadice on December 22. There is only so much juice you can have in batteries. Celtic have missed their usual winter recharge session to Dubai, of that there is no doubt. Rodgers admitted as much.

But a win here and next week's trip to Aston Villa will largely be an irrelevance in terms of Celtic moving up to the next level. This is their time to be Champions League young boys no more.

Related topics:

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice