Celtic’s five-goal Champions League thriller highlights opportunity for smaller teams in new cup format
There was a blazing display at Celtic Park on Wednesday as the Boys beat Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in their first match of the Champions League league stage. While it was something to celebrate for Brendan Rodgers’ side, with five different goal scorers finding the back of the net, there was also something different – a genuine sense of belief.
Last season, Celtic did not score a single goal in the Champions League group stage, winning just once, scoring five goals and conceding 15. Now, they have already equalled their total number of goals in the six-game group stage, and with two-thirds of their goals scored by the end of the first matchday, they are second in the singles table behind Bayern Munich.
To recall, the top eight teams in the Champions League league stage will automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams from ninth to 24th place will play in a two-legged knockout stage to qualify for the last 16. So, on this basis, Celtic only need to finish as a top-24 team in this tournament to make the last 16, whereas last season they needed to finish in the top two in a packed group that included Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord.
Even though Boyce has beaten one of the worst teams in the UCL this season, it won’t matter to them as they are three points closer to making it to the next round. Their upcoming schedule is a little tough, but if Celtic can perform well at home, there is no reason why they can’t join the race.
Celtic UCL Programme
Match: Borussia Dortmund (A), Atalanta (A), RB Leipzig (H), Club Brugge (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Young Boys (H), Aston Villa (A)
The RB Leipzig game is one that stands out because if Celtic can win games against the teams they need to beat then even a draw could be enough. Do that, and there’s even a chance they could make the top eight which would be shocking, but that’s exactly what it should be like in the new Swiss format of the Champions League.
Celtic aren’t the only team in this situation, with Sparta Praha also winning 3-0, but as a UCL regular who sometimes comes into poor group stage draws, ensuring Boyce faces teams of similar strength to him is a huge boost. This is an experienced side with a strong home ground advantage, where no team wants to travel. On a bigger level, Sporting Lisbon are another team that benefits from this, but under Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have a huge key to progressing.
They have dominated the game in Scotland, where they are excellent in the league and League Cup, and Rodgers has plenty of UCL experience as a manager, but their record has been poor. Rodgers has 4-6-15 in the Champions League group stage, but he could double that number of wins by the end of this league stage.
Of course, the tournament has just begun and things can change quickly, but teams kept their foot on the gas and scored early and often, showing they know what these matches mean. With two matches added to the league stage, getting points early also provides a chance to rotate chances as the tournament progresses. If Celtic can build on this, this could be their first appearance in the Round of 16 since the 2012-13 season. Eleven years without knockout football is a long time, but Celtic’s return will show the benefits of a change in format and open the door for smaller teams who really want to play the role of Cinderella.
