Champions League: Celtic v RB Leipzig
Venue: Celtic Park Date: Tuesday, 5 November Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Protection: Reside commentary on BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Sounds. Textual content updates on BBC Sport web site & app
Brendan Rodgers remains to be on the lookout for a marquee win in Europe as Celtic supervisor – and a victory in opposition to RB Leipzig, presently the second finest group in Germany, would most positively go down as a kind of.
Celtic have received their final two dwelling Champions League matches. Jiri Jarosik and Massimo Donati had been the heroes the final time they did three in a row at Celtic Park.
After beating Feyenoord final season and Slovan Bratislava this season, Rodgers’ group have now given themselves an opportunity of emulating Gordon Strachan’s class of 2007.
George W Bush was within the White Home, Gordon Brown was in No 10 and the late Alex Salmond had solely not too long ago been elected First Minister of Scotland, which is only a approach of illustrating how lengthy Celtic have been ready to win 3 times on the spin in a stadium they like to think about as a fortress.
If they need guests to see Celtic Park as something apart from a bucket listing venue – it might be good if a worldwide celebrity stated, simply as soon as, that he hated the place on the again of a chastening expertise.
Firework-free on Bonfire Night time?
Celtic people will likely be hooked, as ever. Watching, too, would be the disciplinary folks from Uefa.
There is a recreation past a recreation right here. It is the Celtic board versus components among the many assist. It is Uefa’s sword of Damocles hanging over the membership over the ultras’ use of pyrotechnics versus the rebellious nature of some followers who often could not give a rattling about edicts from governing our bodies and threatened punishments.
The threats are actual and Celtic understand it. They final month and one firework in a European recreation over the following two years will imply Celtic receiving a ban on promoting tickets for his or her subsequent away journey. On this case, it might be in opposition to Dinamo Zagreb on 10 December.
Rodgers has virtually begged the followers to toe the road. They did simply that in Bergamo, realizing the possible penalties in the event that they did not. The flares had been again with a vengeance earlier than their League Cup semi-final in opposition to Aberdeen on Saturday. The sport was delayed by quarter-hour in consequence.
Pyro at soccer matches in Scotland are unlawful, however in actuality there is not any disincentive for followers to make use of them. From Uefa, there is a warning. From the SPFL, there’s silence, which is exploited by the pyro brigade.
Possibly – perhaps – that is the compromise the followers have reached amongst themselves. Full compliance in Europe, however something goes at dwelling. The membership will maintain its breath. In a way, Tuesday is a check, on and off the pitch.
‘Should-win’ for Bundesliga high-flyers
Celtic confirmed a refreshingly completely different facet to their character away to Atalanta final outing. Earlier than that recreation, followers may need been minded to supply up prayers within the hope that the harm inflicted on them can be modest.
What they bought was a disciplined efficiency, a terrific defensive effort which had its foundations in wonderful goalkeeping from Kasper Schmeichel. They rode their luck at occasions and had been grateful for some errant ending from the Italians, however what they delivered was pragmatic and mature.
Rodgers stated he would by no means transfer away from his teaching beliefs, however he shifted barely in Italy and the group was a lot better for it. The naivety and vulnerability of the 7-1 in Dortmund had gone. As an alternative, there was realism, focus and a starvation to remain within the struggle.
Extra of the identical, then. One other draw can be an excellent final result. That may take Celtic to 5 factors with very winnable dwelling video games in opposition to Bruges – twenty sixth within the desk – and Younger Boys – thirty fifth of 36 – to return.
Some extent in opposition to Leipzig and 6 in opposition to the opposite two, and Celtic are home-free and within the play-offs.
From Leipzig’s perspective, nonetheless, that is absolutely a must-win. They’ve zero factors after a brutal run of video games and after Celtic they’ve Inter, who’re sitting seventh, Aston Villa, who’re high, and Sporting, who’re eighth. After that they’ve a gimme in opposition to Sturm Graz, however three factors could be ineffective at that stage.
They will not lack class and so they will not lack desperation, both. As a membership, they’re a unprecedented outfit. Within the final six years they’ve purchased in additional than a half a billion in revenues from participant buying and selling alone. Celtic have a high-quality monitor document on that entrance, however Leipzig are in a league of their very own.
Naby Keita to Liverpool, Timo Werner to Chelsea, Dayot Upamecano to Bayern Munich, Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea, Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool, Josko Gvardiol to Man Metropolis, Dani Olmo to Barcelona. They’ve achieved 15 completely different offers starting from £10m to just about £80m. The Leipzig tills have been ringing relentlessly.
They may presently be sitting pointless and 11 locations beneath Celtic within the Champions League desk, however the nuance comes with the data that it was Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool they misplaced to, all by a single purpose.
They’re second within the Bundesliga and, till the weekend once they misplaced 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund, they had been on an all-time membership document run of 19 video games unbeaten within the league. No one at Celtic will want any telling about Leipzig’s clear and current hazard.
What Celtic do within the face of that hazard is the compelling bit.