Are Celtic Prepared for Knockout Football?

Last season, Celtic exited European competition after six Champions League matches, finishing at the bottom of their group with four points; a final group stage victory against Feyenoord proved insufficient for a transfer to the Europa League. In the current campaign, Brendan Rodgers’ team has accumulated nine points from six games, positioning them favorably to advance to the subsequent phase of Europe’s premier club tournament. Since suffering a significant 7-1 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund, Celtic has remained undefeated in four subsequent Champions League fixtures. The defensive vulnerabilities starkly evident in Germany seem to have been addressed, as the team faced minimal threats during their goalless — though uninspiring — draw against Dinamo Zagreb. Joe Hart, a former Celtic goalkeeper, commented on TNT Sports, stating, “The whole job for this campaign is to qualify, and they are doing that well.” He added, “They look like they are ready for knockout football.” While Celtic’s performance in Croatia was not optimal, as Hart noted, securing progression remains the primary goal, and earning a point on the road is a commendable achievement. The Scottish champions are scheduled to host Young Boys of Switzerland in the new year, followed by the conclusion of their league campaign at Aston Villa, as they aim to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since the 2012-13 season. On Tuesday, Dinamo’s offensive efforts were restricted to merely 17 touches within Celtic’s penalty area and only two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes, with the visiting team effectively dictating both possession and the pace of play. Furthermore, when Marko Pjaca found himself unmarked in the latter stages of the match, Kasper Schmeichel demonstrated alertness by tipping his header over the crossbar. James McFadden, a former Scotland forward, remarked on Sportsound, “Their [defensive] performance levels have been really good.” He added, “Dortmund aside in the first half, I think they’ve been really good.” In prior seasons, Celtic demonstrated an ability to pose an attacking threat to opponents but lacked the necessary defensive solidity. Currently, they exhibit the capacity to secure results through resilience. Rodgers stated post-match, “My teams will always be referenced for their attacking play.” He continued, “But we’re good when we press in the right moments and have that mentality to not want to concede. We had enough of the ball to create more opportunities, but to have that base collectively is very important.” Brendan Rodgers indicated that the team’s disappointment with the draw highlights Celtic’s advancement. Despite Dinamo experiencing an injury crisis, which positioned Celtic as favorites for the match, the Scottish side struggled to create significant threats on a challenging playing surface. Rodgers acknowledged a feeling that the single point gained could potentially have been three, and that qualification for the knockout round might have been even more assured. McFadden further commented, “The disappointment will be they’ve not created as many chances as they’d have liked.” He continued, “It shows you how far they’ve come, that they’re disappointed to an extent.” Achieving nine points after six matches represents a strong standing for Celtic. “They are in an unbelievable position to finish exactly where they wanted to finish before this campaign kicked off.” The players’ sentiment mirrored this outlook. Defender Auston Trusty stated, “We’ll take the point, but we came here for three.” He added, “It was a solid performance. We thought we could get more from the game.” Trusty has played a significant role in Celtic’s enhanced defensive performances in European competitions, and his declaration that the team traveled to Zagreb with the intention of winning signifies more than merely better displays. Celtic now holds the expectation of securing victories in away Champions League fixtures, a prospect that was nearly inconceivable last season when they conceded 10 goals without scoring any themselves away from Parkhead. As McFadden observed, this demonstrates the considerable progress the team has made.