Celtic’s Champions League record has been the butt of jokes in recent years but the Hoops have the chance to print their name into the record books tonight against Slovan Bratislava…
Brendan Rodgers’ side go into the new-look campaign as strong favourites to beat the Slovakian champions – which would see them win an opening group stage fixture for their first time.
Celtic’s biggest Champions League win is 3-0
And some bookies also fancy the Hoops to record their biggest-ever victory in the competition proper, which currently stands at 3-0 – a margin of victory they have managed twice.
That was the scoreline when they saw off Benfica at home in 2006 and Anderlecht away in 2017.
Bookies price Slovan Bratislava at 9/1 to win
Experts at Sportscasting.com/uk say bookmakers are offering attractive odds of 9/2 for Celtic to record a record-breaking win by four goals or more. And the Hoops are 1/3 to win – and get off to a victorious start in the group stages for the first time.
While they are offering 9/1 on Slovan Bratislava silencing the Celtic support by pulling off a surprise win.
Slovan currently sit top of the Fortuna Liga table this season although they were humbled 5-0 at home to last term’s runners-up Zilina before the September international break. This is the first time they have qualified for the Champions League at the 12th time of asking.
Slovan Bratislava beat Danish Champions Midtjylland in the Play-offs
Vladimir Weiss Snr’s side emerged from four ties, beating the Danish Champions Midtjylland in the play-off.
Weiss was also in charge of Artmedia Bratislava when they knocked Celtic out in the qualifying rounds in 2005.
The chap from Sportscasting had this to say about tonight’s eagerly awaited Champions League match at Paradise: “Celtic are flying high domestically so far this season and haven’t even conceded a league goal in five games, but this match tonight will offer a clue as to just how good they are at the moment.
A Champions League match under the lights
“It’s a Champions League match under the lights, and we know from past experience what an intimidating place it can be for European visitors. Even the biggest teams in the continent have struggled in the past.
“With Celtic Park rocking and an early goal, who knows what might happen?
“They are playing with loads of confidence, and with the new additions settling in nicely, you really have to fancy Celtic to give the Slovakian champions a tough night.”
COYBIG!
Not only have we got our strongest available starting 11, for the first time in our recent CL campaign?
We also have alternatives, from the bench which we have been lacking also in the past few CL campaigns?
But more importantly, is the style of football that we are currently playing, where every player knows there roles, in how Rodgers intends our team to play, which has been most eye catching so far this season imo?
We already look a far better team, with and without the football, than we were last season, and that involves the majority of the same players also?
In turn, it has created a far better understanding all round within our team, and confidence has grown as a result?
Even Rodgers has introduced a few extra dimensions to our all round game, that the players themselves have adjusted to magnificently to date?
Creating plenty of goal scoring opportunities, even if there is room to become far more clinical in them moments. Along with been fairly solid defensively, and not handing up to many chances to the opposition, are fantastic traits for any football team to be having, and we currently have them in abundance at present?
Yet CL matches, can usually be decided by fine margins, and we haven’t been that successful in that regards, over our recent campaigns?
Personally don’t believe in looking backwards, and learning from individual mistakes, from missing opportunities to giving goals away, will still be key for ourselves in this campaign imo?
But with so many of our established players, having gained valuable experience at this level, along with a style of play that suits all within our club, and squad depth that’s grown in confidence and understanding, it’s the most optimistic feeling, I can recall entering into a CL campaign imo?
Yet results have to still be achieved, and thinking we will start with tonight first, and earn many of a memorable night during this CL campaign along the way imo?
All the ingredients are in place for ourselves, just need to turn them into something special, that we can all enjoy tasting for this campaign, especially as we have been starved for way too long also imo?