It was a great weekend of results for Celtic. The win over Hearts left them with a three-point lead in the league, the first time they have been able to open up a gap this season after Aberdeen lost. On the other hand, the Rangers now find themselves 11 points behind the Premiership leaders, thanks to their draw against Dundee United. Somehow, Philippe Clement remains in charge.
The focus will need to turn to the Champions League now. For many, Celtic have been the surprise packages of the season in Europe’s top competition.
They have won two of their first four games, while also managing a respectable draw away in Bergamo against an in-form Atalanta side. Their next task will be to welcome Club Brugge to Parkhead.
The Belgian side are coming off a great result as well and they have also won two games in the Champions League this season, with their last win coming against Aston Villa. So, this is not going to be an easy game for Celtic by any means.
As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Club Brugge’s Ferran Jutgla told the Sunday Mail:
“This match looks very equal. A one-point advantage for Celtic isn’t a lot but it tells us this game will be difficult.
“We’ll go to Glasgow with good morale. To defeat Aston Villa was important for our team. It proved that Brugge aren’t just guests in the Champions League.
“We’re a club with a lot of pride who want to improve every game.
“Our challenge in the Champions League is to progress to the next phase. And I believe any points we can get at Celtic’s stadium will be really important for us in achieving that.
“Celtic are strong at home and the level of the Scottish game is better now than it was a few years ago.
“We don’t fear the atmosphere in Glasgow. It’s just football and I prefer a stadium that’s full of people with a lot of pressure.
“That helps increase your performance level.”
This is one of the games that Celtic fans would have viewed as winnable when the fixtures were set. But after Club Brugge’s solid results in the competition, especially the win over Aston Villa, it would be a mistake to take the Belgian side lightly for even a second.
This is the Champions League. There are absolutely no easy games at this level. But if Celtic do bring their A-game in midweek, one would think that they would have enough to get a result.
The wins against Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig must have given these Celtic players a lot of confidence. They have what it takes to win in Europe.
