Celtic are aiming to reach the Champions League last 16 for the first time since the 2012-13 season, hosting RB Leipzig tonight at Celtic Park in a crucial match. Brendan Rodgers’ team comes into the game with high spirits after a 6-0 Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen, featuring a hat-trick from Daizen Maeda and goals from Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Nicolas Kuhn.
After securing a valuable 0-0 draw against Atalanta in their last Champions League match, Celtic now have four points from three games, sitting in 20th place ahead of tonight’s fixture against Leipzig. Leipzig, on the other hand, have lost all three of their Champions League games so far, facing a potential early exit unless they win tonight.
Though a win over Leipzig tonight won’t immediately secure Celtic’s spot in the last 16, it will significantly boost their chances. To qualify, Celtic need to finish in the top eight of the Champions League standings to advance directly, while teams in 9th to 24th place will enter a play-off for a spot in the last 16. Those below 25th will be eliminated from European competition without dropping into the Europa League.
With five Champions League games remaining, including tonight’s, Celtic could ensure at least a play-off spot by winning two more matches, reaching a minimum of 10 points. If they beat Leipzig tonight and subsequently Club Brugge on November 27, they would be well-positioned for the play-off round. To automatically qualify for the top eight, they’ll likely need around 16 points, though 15 might also suffice according to projections.
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