This week, Celtic participated in Champions League play.
If Celtic makes it to the Champions League play-offs, they would most likely face either PSV or Benfica. In their most recent match of the season, they drew 1-1 with Club Brugge on Wednesday evening.
They were under 1-0 going into halftime after defender Cameron Carter-Vickers scored an own goal in the first half. The score remained that way when the Hoops rallied in the second half and equalised through attacker Daizen Maeda.
They now face Dynamo Zagreb, Young Boys, and Aston Villa in their final three Champions League matches. Out of the 36 teams on the table, Celtic is currently in 20th place. If they qualify for the playoffs, they will probably face the following opponents, according to Football Meets Data on X.
As of November 28, the most likely UCL KO play-off pairings are: 6.0% Real Madrid’s Brest 5.8% Feyenoord – Lille 5.7% Juventus-Benfica 5.6% PSV – Celtic 5.6% Benfica-Monaco 5.5% Celtic-Benfica 5.5% Brest-PSV
Celtic hasn’t been doing too terribly in Europe this season and is still on course. They are two points ahead of Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership based on their performance.
This weekend marks the Hoops’ return to play as they take on Ross County at home in an attempt to maintain their winning streak. Rodgers’ team has shown itself to be a formidable opponent, and they will aim to distance themselves from the Dons in second place and from Rangers’ poor showing in third.
“A little let down.”
“I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with the performance,” stated former manager Neil Lennon following their drew with Club Brugge. Brugge occasionally seemed like the far better team, in my opinion, and Maeda’s individual skill was what allowed him to regain the lead.
At the opposite end of the pitch, they’ve had a goal disallowed, Schmiechel’s made a fantastic stop shortly after halftime, and the young Olsen missed a volley at the far post. “Then Celtic kind of huffed and puffed, but I don’t remember Mignolet having to make too many good saves.” He ought to have scored.
“Brugge really pleased me, but you have to accept the fact that Celtic will benefit from it. However, I always believe that you must win these games at home. Brugge was happy to observe and absorb any pressure Celtic applied to them. They always seemed to me to be on the riskier side. They were quite cunning, and some of their counterattack one-touch passes were excellent.
It’s a process of learning. Celtic had the advantage going into the match. However, I must admit that Brugge truly caught me off guard. They were quite amazing, in my opinion. They were quite courageous in their play and managed to keep the crowd silent for extended stretches of time. They are, without a doubt, the best team I have seen at Celtic Park this season.
