KASPER SCHMEICHEL has zero ambition as he prepares to face Borussia Dortmund on matchday two of the Champions League this evening.
Denmark’s legendary international keeper is hoping to succeed where his predecessor Joe Hart failed – and keep a clean sheet in Europe’s most glamorous competition.
Schmeichel conceded in the Hoops’ 5-1 opening-day triumph over Slovan Bratislava at Parkhead just over two weeks ago.
Brendan Rodgers’ men were already 3-0 ahead with goals from Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi and Arne Engels (pen) when Kevin Wimmer sent a curling effort high past the stranded netminder for his team’s consolation strike.
UNBEATABLE…Kasper Schmeichel has had eight successive Premiership shut-outs.
There was no chance of a fightback as Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah took the hosts’ tally to five.
Schmeichel managed five shut-outs in eight Champions League appearances for Leicester City in season 2016/17. This evening in the Westfalenstadion would be perfect timing for the 37-year-old Dane to add to that sequence.
Hart, capped 75 times by England, shipped THIRTY goals in 12 games after making his Hoops debut at this level against the-then holders of the trophy Real Madrid at Parkhead on September 6 2022.
The experienced netminder, a bargain £1million recruit from Spurs in August the previous year, and his team-mates played well for almost an hour before the roof fell in with the Spaniards netting three quickfire strikes in a 3-0 win.
HELPLESS…Kasper Schmeichel is beaten by Kevin Wimmer (extreme left) for Slovan’s consolation goal.
It got worse in the return in the Spanish capital as the veteran shotstopper was beaten five times – twice from penalty-kicks – as the visitors collapsed to a 5-1 loss.
Before that final curtain in the Bernabeu, Hart had to retrieve the ball from his net on five occasions against RB Leipzig (1-3, 0-2) while there were 1-1 draws home and away against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Last term, the Hoops kicked off with a 2-0 loss in Rotterdam, with Lazio claiming four (1-2, 0-2) and Atletico Madrid piling on the misery with eight (2-2, 0-6).
Hart was just eight minutes away from his first blank in his final appearance in the competition last season with Celtic leading 1-0 via a first-half penalty-kick from Luis Palma against Feyenoord.
BIG NOISE…fans’ favourite Joe Hart has something to say.
However, the keeper’s hopes were scuppered when Yankuba Minteh fired in the equaliser, but the now-retired custodian and his colleagues were celebrating when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed in a 90th-minute winner.
Now, after the five-goal romp against Slovan, it’s over to Kasper and Co to maintain the feelgood factor for a third successive Champions League outing when they take on last season’s runners-up.
Good luck, lads!
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Borussia Dortmund v Celtic this evening – only in your champion CQN.
