Jock Stein would undoubtedly have been proud of the performance Brendan Rodgers’ team delivered on Tuesday night at Celtic Park in a European Cup match. It was a display of football that would have lived up to the standards set by the great Celtic sides of the past.
The famous line from the well-known Celtic song, *”to play football the Glasgow Celtic way”*, rings true when reflecting on this performance.
On May 25, 1967, Jock Stein and his team achieved the pinnacle of Celtic’s history by winning the European Cup. Stein, after that momentous victory in Lisbon, famously described Celtic’s success: *”We did it by playing football. Pure, beautiful, inventive football.”* This encapsulates the “Celtic way” — a style of play that is beautiful, exciting, and designed to entertain the fans.
That same brand of football was on display on Wednesday night, and it was a joy to watch, a performance worthy of any great Celtic team. While it wasn’t as historically significant as the 1967 European Cup Final, or other performances from that era, it was certainly a match that Jock Stein would have admired.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Celtic has played some fantastic domestic football, with notable performances such as the sensational win against Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup. But Wednesday night was something different — a real step up.
The tempo and quality of football Celtic displayed against RB Leipzig, an elite German side, were exceptional. It proved that Celtic can compete at the highest level. The players are fully aware of the challenge that the Champions League presents, as shown in the tough campaigns under Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers, where Celtic earned just six points across two seasons. But now, with seven points and four games remaining, this team has shown they can stand toe-to-toe with Europe’s best.
If they maintain this level of consistency, Celtic has the potential to make a real mark in European football. The confidence and belief in the squad are growing, and any team facing Celtic will now approach with caution, especially after the way they dismantled RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
While it may be premature to say Celtic could win the Champions League, the team is certainly on the radar of European football, and they are earning respect. At the start of the season, Rodgers set the goal of reaching the play-offs, and the team is on track to achieve that. Moreover, there’s a genuine chance to finish in the top eight and progress directly to the round of 16.
With three wins from four remaining group-stage games, this is well within reach. The odds of Celtic achieving this have dropped dramatically, from 25/1 to just 7/1.
Celtic has been fortunate with the draw this season, something that rarely happens. In contrast, RB Leipzig has faced one of the toughest groups, and they are yet to secure a point, with Celtic being the only team to beat them by more than a single goal.
Looking ahead, Celtic’s remaining fixtures are promising: FC Brugge at home on November 27, Dinamo Zagreb away on December 10, Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, and finally, Aston Villa in Birmingham on January 29. Three wins from those four games is very achievable, especially if they can build on the performance against Leipzig.
There’s no reason why Celtic can’t continue this upward trajectory. The players are shedding any lingering doubts about their Champions League credentials, having put in two strong performances against Atalanta and RB Leipzig. Now, they’re ready to make a real push for the knockout stages.
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