We have watched Celtic in Champions League games away from home against the great and the not-so-great for 23 years. In all that time, we have seen them win twice, an heroic last minute header by Georgios Samaras at Spartak Moscow, then an unlikely 0-3 demolishing of Anderlecht, unlikely, as Anderlecht won the return game at Celtic Park.
There was a draw in Barcelona 20 years ago (back when we drew there often), two others in 2016 – at Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City, and in 2022 we drew with Shakhtar Donetsk at an away game in Poland. That’s all we have to show for 23 years on the road in this competition.
So you and I are both conditioned for what lies ahead, be it Trondheim or Madrid. That being the case, there should be a degree of freedom about Celtic at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund tonight. This is our most difficult game on paper. Liberated from expectations, we can play with the confidence only a side with nothing material to lose could muster.
Borussia conceded two late goals as they lost the final of this competition as recently as June, they will be professionally respectful of Celtic, but they would be shocked to their core if they dropped a point tonight.
All of these convincing wins we have enjoyed recently are a bit disconcerting, anyway. We are in no way the finished article, but Celtic will gather important information tonight, whatever the outcome. We need a real test, we need this game, and for once, we can say, go enjoy it, Celtic. Throw your punch.
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Beat Monday!
Happy Wednesday eve and game day.
Only a fool……….
2-1 Celtic.
Correct don’t die wondering if we did something different, we must play our game and adapt when we are under pressure, go for it bhoys.
Paul 67,
Totally agree.
I really feel the new mindset.
Go Celtic. Let us entertain you.
COYBIG
OK. Fine. Sure.
I’ll hang off on getting ahead of myself about tonight’s game ….. until after the full time whistle.
🙂
was für Lerchen Paul67
– was für Lerchen
lol
Greenpinata
You are spot on.
Mindset is the shift we are seeing.
Ange talked of this being the pinnacle and I almost felt we seemed intimidated by it. The feeling now is that the team believe.
That gives hope but it’s still huge task.
We know Celtic can score 4 (ref. 4-3 v Man C and 4-1 v Chelsea, pre-season), but can they prevent Dortmund from scoring 4 or more? That is the question.
Right now I’d take 4-3 to the visitors! 😉🇳🇬 Or 1-0.
Dortmund can certainly be got at. Bit of an up and down team – even within games.
We weren’t really tested defensively in the first game, so can’t really say if we have rid ourselves of the things which have cost us in the past – ball-watching, switching off, carelessness, etc.
Big test but definitely a result there for us if we get everything right. Kind of game we got Kasper in for.
“theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on 1st October 2024 9:11 am
For Celtic to win tonight I feel that we will have to score more goals than them.”
Not necessarily , they may score less than us 🤪
Die Gelbe Wand gegen die Große Mauer (mk2).
Fred Colon: “Not necessarily , they may score less than us 🤪”
“Fewer than us”… or “für uns”! 🤞
Nope, disagree
The feel good factor is at a high level just now, confidence oozing through the team.
I would have been much happier if this test came toward the end of the campaign.
Good article. Very well reasoned
As a poster on here said (may have been Corkcelt?) this game will not define our season.
Unsure what good looks like for me this evening, though I know the 5, 6, 7 goal hammerings we’ve received in the past is not it.
The CL is becoming ever more stretched between top and bottom.
We’ll learn much tonight. Players, fans, coaches.
There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. Oh, and the Germans
Fred Colon on 1st October 2024 12:33 pm
True…….let’s call it a draw.
HH
I’m not feeling as much trepidation going into this game as I would have even last season . I am however mindful of the fact that our many brilliant performances this season have been against teams of a far lower calibre than Dortmund . Throw in our away Euro record which , as Paul points out has been fairly abysmal , and I would be happy if Dortmund leave the field knowing that they’ve been in a game . I have a feeling the 5 and6 nothing defeats are a thing of the past.
Would not judge Celtic solely on away (or even home) CL group games over the last twenty years or so.
Think it was Burnley78, or SFTB perhaps that have pointed out that over the piece we have achieved a number of good results away in Europe including CL and EL qualifiers, UEFA and EL matches etc. Haven’t always followed them up of course with results at home but that is by and by. So lets not play the MSM game. And anyways we can take this game on its’ own merit, a major footballing test for all concerned. A acid test if you like, where if every player concentrates for every minute of the ninety we might just have a chance of getting something from the game. Los geht’s!
AufGeht’sCSC
Many of those 23 years , we were playing a different game to the crafty continentals, very often our tactics involved a long clearance to wide left for Georgios , Jarosik etc to chest down , fall over for a free kick and then play a free kick into the box.
Thankfully , thinks have improved since those days.
We do have a punchers chance but everything needs to go our way , include the refs.
Team that started at the weekend given the nod , Paulo and Callum to hold a bit more with Arne getting forward.
HH
To try to get a perspective on this game, I am trying to imagine how an Aberdeen fan would feel if the Dons were coming to Celtic Park tonight.
It’s great that there’s so anticipation for tonight. The list of away points at this level makes for very sobering thoughts. Some of the best Celtic sides in my lifetime failed to pick up a point in Norway and Denmark so not many will be expect change from tonight’s game.
The only crumb of comfort is that off the away day points picked up at this level as detailed by Paul, BR is responsible for half of them. It’s a free hit so we’ll be moving on fairly quickly come 10pm.
i am not buying intot his tartan army esque blind confidence.
we will do well just to not get pumped.
lose by a couple, i expect.
anything else would be a football miricle.
Hot Smoked on 1st October 2024 1:17 pm
To try to get a perspective on this game, I am trying to imagine how an Aberdeen fan would feel if the Dons were coming to Celtic Park tonight.
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Excellent!
Also, very comfortable reading this article.
The Celtic midfielder Arne Engels has revealed his dad will be driving his family from Belgium to Germany for the Champions League clash in Dortmund – in a minivan
all aboard the engles bus,
we like we like to party
it is not that I don’t care about the result tonight, would be a lie if I said that, but I am just so very happy with how we are playing right now. I know, as Paul said, we have been playing teams not of the calibre of Dortmund, but we have still been playing teams who pack it in, and at any level it is hard to break down a team that plays 11 in defence. We are switching the point of attack so quickly and when we sub,the standard is maintained. I showed my kids in class the goals from this weekend and they were raving about the last one. One kid said he was going home to replicate it on FIFA on his X-Box:)))))) This is how we make future Celtic fans.
Win, Lose, or draw, most fun Celtic team I have seen in a while. The players just look like they never want the game to end.
What a friend we have in Celtic, what a gift that we have been given,
What a team Brendan’s created, Celtic, a gift that’s made in Heaven.
Amen,
Sean
BBC a minute ago:
…and now on to football. Not a mention of Celtic !!! Unbelievable…..well, it should be.
Bigchipsuk – fewer than us .
PS I picked up some German when I was in Colditz during the war but that was a long time ago and my memory is going 🤪
Slovan Bratislava 45/1 to beat Man City at home
City 1/40
Mines a Celtic-Slovan double!
Off to Vegas for work tomorrow. If someone could step in and cover for my juvenile podium chasing that would be great.
Good ‘feet on the ground’ article by Paul and some excellent, albeit brief, analyses from: ST STIVS ”I am not buying into this tartan army-esque blind confidence” – GLENOWEN “We’ll learn much tonight. Players, fans, coaches” – HOT SMOKED “To try to get a perspective on this game, I am trying to imagine how an Aberdeen fan would feel if the Dons were coming to Celtic Park tonight” – GLENDAYSTONSILS “I am however mindful of the fact that our many brilliant performances this season have been against teams of a far lower calibre than Dortmund”
We are playing a club who three months ago were in the Champions League final and who normally inhabit the upper echelons’ of the German Bundesliga – a league head and shoulders above that in which we ply our trade.
So not filled with confidence that we will get a victory, but confident that we are in better form and shape going into this new-format CL campaign than many others before. CCV’s absence is a blow, however there is an expectation on the back of our excellent form pre-season and at the start of this, of a good showing and genuine hope that we can come away with something.
P67:
“Borussia … would be shocked to their core if they dropped a point tonight.”
I would be more than shocked!
…
I’d be slightly less shocked if they dropped TWO pointS tonight – only slightly mind despite the confidence from recent form. I would be astounded of forehead (and very happy) if they dropped three :)
PedantryCSC
QB
Same team as Saturday
Reckon a two two draw tonight.
That would be ok, but might just sneak a wee win.
Team I think will be,
Kasper, Aj Trusty, Scales and GT
Bernardo, CalMac and Engels
Kuhn, Kyogo and Maeda.
Like the look of Trusty, graceful , athletic and a footballer into the bargain
Celtic fans, stay safe and enjoy the experience
KINGLuBO
PS Remember, the German sense of humour is no laughing matter
could Trusty be the new Virgil I wonder.
Expected the same starting eleven as Saturday night, as it’s pretty much our strongest current possible team. Multi subbing is now a tactic used with high intensity pressing sides, and we have to play to our strengths, no deviations because we face a Bundesliga club and an obvious but closing technical gap.
New CL format, one off games give new hope, along with arguably the best Celtic squad in years and years.
This ref has given 68 cards in his last 10 games ,I hope we have learned from last year’s away games
!!BADA BING!! on 1ST OCTOBER 2024 3:12 PM
Good point Bada . You only have to look back to Daizen’s ridiculously soft red against the theatrical Atletico player last season to remind ourselves how quickly the difficult can become the impossible .
Keep the heids .
!!BADA BING!! on 1ST OCTOBER 2024 3:12 PM
This ref has given 68 cards in his last 10 games ,I hope we have learned from last year’s away games
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Crazy stat! We always seem to get dodgy officials in Europe. Still not convinced High Dallas isn’t involved in who refs our games. 🤬💩😂👍🍀⚽️🇮🇪🏆
MU- Yep…..