THE Champions of Scotland have had a mixed time of it so far in this season’s Champions League. An encouraging 5-1 opening win at home to Slovan Bratislava was tempered somewhat by a 7-1 drubbing in Dortmund, but at least Celtic fans have gotten value for money in terms of goals so far.
Such ups and downs have led many fans to wonder if the Hoops can make a success of this campaign and finish in the revamped knockout stage of 16 teams.
Let’s take a closer look at how they could do this. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
What will Celtic get if they reach the knockouts?
The prize money for Celtic getting to the last 16 will depend on how their remaining group games pan out. Let’s say they get the required ten points, the total that Opta has said teams need to reach. Three wins and a draw, for example, would net them £5.6m (£1.7m x 3, £584,000 for a draw).
Then, there’s an extra of £1 million just for qualifying for the knockouts. Think of this as similar principle to the no deposit bonuses you might get for signing up to an online casino.
Let’s also not forget the ticket money: a full Celtic Park for both a potential knockouts play-off and the Last 16 home leg could net the Scottish Champions millions more, plus an increase in TV money.
Other group opponents
Celtic’s path to the knockouts is blocked by several quality teams, including Aston Villa, who recently beat Bayern Munich at home, and RB Leipzig who have pushed Juventus and Atletico Madrid all the way in their games this season.
Celtic’s plan, however, will be to take the points off the weaker teams they come up against. They host Club Brugge at Parkhead in November, for example, and this is a game they must win if they are to qualify. Brugge might be the Belgian champions, but they’ve struggled this season, lagging some way from the top of the table in their home country. They also got beat convincingly by Dortmund (3-0 at home) but they proved in their win over Sturm Graz that they can go away in Europe and get a result.
Another winnable game is the home game against Young Boys. The Swiss outfit looked poor at home to Aston Villa, losing 3-0, and they didn’t do their confidence much good with a 5-0 thrashing at Barcelona a couple of weeks later. However, it’s in their domestic league where their form has been most alarming: sitting near the foot of the table for much of this season starting their campaign with just one win in eight games. Celtic will feel that this is a must-win.
Of their other opponents, the Bhoys can’t take anything for granted with a tough trip to Zagreb also on the itinerary. Boss Brendan Rogers will be hoping they can keep it tight and hit better sides on the break with the pace they have among their attackers. If they can make this game plan work, they’re capable of beating most teams.
A league distraction
Another factor that might hold Celtic back from qualification to the knockouts is the possibility of a close league title battle. Aberdeen surprised many with their white-hot start to the season, winning all of their opening eight games, but you can never rule out Rangers picking up their form and closing the gap.
Celtic’s Glasgow rivals might have struggled in the league this season at times, but they still have some talented players in their ranks, including Cyriel Dessiers and Tom Lawrence.
Yet Celtic have shown they can deal with Rangers quite easily when necessary. Their thumping 3-0 derby win in September in front of a jam-packed Parkhead showed just how dominant they were over the Gers and it will take a lot for Phillipe Clement’s side to finish above the Bhoys this campaign.
Rodgers will be hoping his side can win the league with plenty of energy to spare for a Champions League run this season.
Can they do it?
Ask any Celtic fan if they can reach the Champions League knockouts for the first time in 12 years and they’ll surely say “yes” and the new-look format makes this a little easier than before.
Celtic are more than capable of reaching that fabled 10-point mark and reaching the lottery of knockout football. Then, once they’re there, anything can happen.
