Celtic were on the receiving end of a Champions League lesson in Germany, losing by a massive 7-1 margin to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two.
The Bhoys slipped to an early deficit before equalising quickly at 1-1 thanks to Daizen Maeda.
However, a litany of preventable mistakes followed, and the home side led 5-1 at the interval before adding another two in the second half.
It was an all-too-familiar story for Celtic supporters, who have witnessed their fair share of Champions League collapses away from home over the last decade or so.
Brendan Rodgers, who was so full of belief in his players before the match, was understandably not happy with what he witnessed from the first whistle.
Brendan Rodgers has his say on Celtic loss vs Dortmund
Speaking in a post-match press conference, he said: “It was a tough watch, to be honest. We weren’t at our best and they showed why they are a top team.
“We didn’t make the start we wanted. I just said to the players afterwards that I don’t think I’ve been involved in a game where every single mistake we made got punished. That’s the level, any misplaced pass or moment they had seemed to end up in the back of the net.
“You need to be at your highest level. We weren’t that and they were. You can see the quality that they have.
We might have got spooked a little bit early on. We get the equaliser, but very quickly, we’re 2-1 behind, and we start to chase it a little bit. It was a mixture of our positioning and the quality of our passing. We just didn’t play a good game technically, out there.
Rodgers addresses Celtic tactical approach
Asked if the result makes him reassess the team’s approach of going toe-to-toe with elite sides, Rodgers responded: “I don’t think we were going toe-to-toe with them. I think there were moments whenever we can press the game, from a static position we’re there to press it.
“When you’re in the mid-pitch, I just felt we needed to be tighter. At times our positioning was a little bit too open. You’ve just got to really tighten the game or they play through you and that’s what they did.
“Once they’re in and turned, then that speed and power they have. You see where that takes them.
“We needed to be tighter and more compact in certain moments.”
What’s next for Celtic after Champions League drubbing
There’s not too much time to dwell on this one. There’s an away trip to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership this weekend, and bouncing back immediately is the aim.
The Champions League big picture is that qualification for the knockouts is still very much achievable for the team, despite tonight.
Nine points will, more likely than not, get Celtic through while ten points all but guarantees it. That is still the aim even though the Dortmund result stings for staff, players and supporters.
Rodgers’ role now is to pull the group together and move together united. A result like this one can’t be allowed to fester.
