After suffering a cruel 7-1 demolition in Dortmund, Celtic have dropped 18 places in the new Champions League format following two rounds of fixtures…
The aftermath of yet another dreadful performance in Europe has been rife in the last several days. The defeat has had a severe impact on Celtic, who are now just outside the vital top 24 spots.
With a +4 goal differential, Celtic was ranked second out of 36 clubs in the Champions League after defeating Slovan Bratislava, the winners of the Slovakian championship. After two weeks, there is now only a -2 goal differential. The Hoops are now ranked 20th in the standings. Given that comparable level clubs in pots 3 and 4 want to finish with nine points, goal differential may be crucial in obtaining the coveted play-off tie.
Celtic’s next match is a trip to Bergamo to play the previous season’s champions of the Europa League. Atalanta have been off to a flier, drawing with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal 0-0 in their opener and then comfortably brushing aside Shakhtar Donestk 3-0 in Poland. In less than three weeks, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team will be strong favorites going into the match.
In addition, Celtic will host RB Leipzig in their upcoming home match in Europe’s top club championship. Despite having an additional player and leading 2-1, the Germans wasted their lead and lost the game 3-2. Leipzig’s next matchup is suspiciously against Liverpool; if the Germans lose three straight, they will have to win when they visit Celtic Park.
Celtic will aim to gain the majority of their points in matches five through seven. Club Brugge, who overcame a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the first game, are currently one spot below the Celts. A 1-0 victory away to Sturm Graz has propelled the Belgians up the table.
Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb who ousted their management post-Bayern humiliation, lost a two goal lead at home to Monaco to draw 2-2. A painful one for the Croatians, who after just two games are down to one point and a goal differential of -7.
Young Boys, Celtic’s penultimate league opponents, are at the bottom of the standings. Barcelona and Aston Villa make for a difficult opening round of matches. But the Swiss team has had a terrible start to their own domestic league season, and by game seven, they might already be out of the picture.
Naturally, Celtic’s mini-league finale takes place in Birmingham against the highly competitive Aston Villa. With a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, Unai Emery’s team mimicked the 1982 European Cup final. Opposite to Young Boys, Villa might have clinched a top 8 finish by then with Brendan Rodgers hoping that the game has less riding on it for our opponents.
It seems like most people would settle for three points after two games when the fixtures were initially released. Top 24 is a realistic goal with six games remaining, and more significantly, three huge home games. Performances away from home must significantly improve though, and that must start in Italy.
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