Brugge endured a terrible start to the season but since defeat to Gent in September they have lost only away to Milan in 11 games. Champions League wins away at Sturm Graz and home to Aston Villa mean they travel to Glasgow with hopes of taking at least a point.
While their win over Villa came as a result of a bizarre penalty kick, the Belgian side deserved nothing less. Villa turned up expecting to win but were unprepared for how effectively Brugge took the game to them.
This has been the most open Champions League I can remember, possibly ever. At the halfway point, Celtic sat above Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Milan, Atletico Madrid and PSG, while Villa and Manchester City, who were comfortable earlier in the season, are now back in the mix. This is a reminder that expectations can be subverted over the course of 90 minutes. All that confidence we have enjoyed in recent times will either be validated or punctured before the day ends.
Three weeks ago we experienced one of the great Celtic European performances of the modern era, raising expectations of a points tally few of us could dream of at the start of the campaign. Tonight, that game against Leipzig counts for nothing. If we have any aspirations to be a competitive Champions League side, we need to raise our game again against Brugge.
We have already faced both our Pot 1 opponents and Brugge are the second and final Pot 2 team we are up against. They have earned the right to be in the top half of the draw because they know how to get results on a consistent basis. There is a lesson there for us before an enormously difficult game.
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Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor, McGregor (c), Hatate, Engels, Maeda, Kuhn, Kyogo
Subs: Sinisalo, Scales, Palma, Idah, Valle, Yang, McCowan, Nawrocki, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh
Approaching Paradiise – go on the Tims HH
BOGNORBHOY
There’s only one Alex Valle 👍
Nervous, but at least we are playing at this level. A massive thank you to the Board, Brendan, and the players, but above all an ever big thank you to the Celtic support.
1-0, 2-1, 3-2 I just want a win.
Great time to be a Celt. Never take it for granted.
Is there an “Alex Valle” for those of us who don’t have the luxury of a subscription service? 😉
👍👍
live updates up
Clunks, can you post the link to the game on that Meth Streamers site please?
Club Rouge?
I think I got a lumber there in the 80s!
Monna Tic !!