Cameron Carter-Vickers has emphasized that Celtic are finally in a position to prove themselves in the Champions League.
The 26-year-old U.S. international has enjoyed a successful stint at Parkhead, amassing seven winners’ medals in just three seasons. However, the main area where Celtic has faced criticism has been in their Champions League performances.
In the 2020/21 season, Celtic were eliminated in the second qualifying round by Hungarian side Ferencváros, and in the following year, they were knocked out by FC Midtjylland at the same stage. In 2022/23, Celtic earned automatic qualification to the group stage but finished bottom of a tough group, taking only two points from six matches, with opponents including Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Last season, Celtic showed improvement, earning four points in the group stage with a draw against Atletico Madrid and a win over Feyenoord.
This year, after just four matches in the newly structured league phase, Celtic seem to be making significant strides, despite a heavy loss to Dortmund. Already, they’ve accumulated more points—seven—than in their previous two Champions League campaigns combined.
Carter-Vickers is aware of the progress but remains cautious, not wanting to look too far ahead, despite their promising position in 15th place at the halfway point.
“It’s hard to say,” the U.S. defender commented when asked about Celtic’s potential in this year’s competition. “We’ve been taking it one game at a time, and we don’t think we’ve done enough yet to say we’re through the group. For us, it’s just about performing at the highest level. As we showed against Leipzig, if we do that, we can get a result.”
Carter-Vickers also reflected on Celtic’s growth over the past few years, acknowledging that it’s been a learning process, both in terms of experience and belief as a team.
“We’re at a point now where many of us have enough experience at this level to know we can compete. It’s about bringing that together and giving it our all,” he said.
When asked if their win over RB Leipzig was the best performance during their Champions League run, he agreed, noting the steady progress the team has made over three seasons. “Now we feel ready, and the belief in the group has grown. We know we can reach that level, and now it’s about doing it consistently.”
Carter-Vickers also praised the team’s resilience during the 1-1 draw with Atalanta in Bergamo, recognizing the defensive solidity required to compete at this level. He also highlighted that the victory over Leipzig proved Celtic’s ability in attack, alongside their defensive discipline.
Reflecting on the 7-1 loss to Dortmund, he said, “It was tough. Everyone was disappointed, but looking back, it showed us that small details make a huge difference at this level. We were punished that night.”
Celtic’s ability to combine solid defense with attacking performance was also evident in Nico Kuhn’s rise as a key player for the team. The winger scored twice against Leipzig and has firmly established himself as a first-choice starter after overcoming fitness struggles and finding his form in Glasgow.
Carter-Vickers had high praise for Kuhn: “He’s been excellent this season. Even last year, you could see his quality in training, but it’s about putting it together on match days. He’s started well this season, and I’m confident he’ll continue to perform.”
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