Celtic's Northern Ireland coach Brendan Rodgers applauds after winning the UEFA Champions League group E football match between Celtic and Feyenoord at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow on December 13, 2023. Celtic wins 2 - 1 against Feyenoord and qualifies for the Champions League last 16. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Celtic are celebrating a stunning victory in the Champions League on Wednesday night after thrashing Slovan Bratislava by a 5-1 margin.
The desire and belief from the Celtic players was evident from the first whistle, relentlessly pursuing the visitors out of possession and showing real quality on the ball.
Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah were all on the scoresheet, delighting the home crowd and their manager Brendan Rodgers in a ruthless display.
It is the Bhoys’ biggest-ever victory in the group stage of the Champions League and the first time that they’ve ever won on the opening night of a group stage.
Celtic sitting pretty after superb Champions League win
The result leaves Celtic high up the 36-team table, above some heavy hitters with resources far greater than the Bhoys’ due to goal difference.
Chris Sutton summed that up after full-time, posting on social media: “Celtic sitting in second place in the Champions League above all the Premier League and La Liga and Serie A giants.
Bayern Munich currently sit at the top of the tree after their 9-2 result at home to Dinamo Zagreb and there are still six matches left to play on Thursday, but it’s a bit of fun for Celtic that sums up the majesty of tonight’s result.
Tougher tests await for Celtic in Europe
The Bhoys now face a gauntlet of three difficult-looking matches against the higher seeds of the draw before the second half of the league phase.
Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta are very tricky tests on the road, while the visit of RB Leipzig in November is far from easy.
However, with three points already in the bank, any positive results in these matches will be a significant step forward for ambitions to make it into the top 24 and a play-off position.
Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys and Aston Villa will follow and Celtic will now fancy their chances after such a morale-boosting win against Slovan Bratislava.
Dishing out a thumping at this level is hugely challenging regardless of the opponent. Celtic are playing with a swagger that bodes so well for when more demanding matches come along.
