As dust settles, how things stand for Celtic in Champions League

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·12 December 2024

As dust settles, how things stand for Celtic in Champions League

Following the conclusion of match-day six of the Champions League, Celtic have dropped one place in the 36-team table…

From 20th to 21st, the Hoops crucially remain in those elusive top 24 spots despite their 0-0 draw with Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday evening.

Celtic have now played six matches in the Europe’s elite club competition this season and have accumulated an impressive nine points from six matches as a consequence of two outstanding victories against Slovan Bratislava, and RB Leipzig, three draws versus Atalanta, Club Brugge and Dinamo Zagreb, and the solitary defeat in Dortmund two months ago.

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Celtic sit above Man City

Sitting above current English Premier League champions Manchester City, Dutch titleholders PSV Eindhoven, and their most recent Champions League opponents Dinamo Zagreb [all who are on eight points], the race to grab a knockout playoff round spot is hitting crunch time.

Celtic players pose for a team photo on the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

PSG and VfB Stuttgart are both narrowly placed outside the top 24 spots on seven points but are closing in on the three teams above them. Crucially, PSG face Manchester City in a months’ time which will put an elite side in extreme danger of exiting the competition, something UEFA allegedly wanted to make sure of avoiding when creating the rules for the newly revamped competition.

Dead rubber matches

Meanwhile, down at the bottom, eight teams pretty much had their fate sealed in this round of fixtures with three side’s having confirmed exits.

BSC Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig [three of Celtic’s opponents]will be playing two dead rubber matches in their final encounters in this seasons competition after amassing nothing from six games.

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Subsequently, Brendan Rodgers’ side will play Swiss champions BSC Young Boys who have the worst record in Europe’s elite club competition of 36 teams in the penultimate Champions League group phase match. A victory for the Hoops would put Rodgers’ men on 12 points confirming that all important knockout place.

Mouth-watering options for play-offs

If the table was to finish the way it is not now, Celtic would face either Atletico Madrid or AC Milan. Where you finish within the top 24 has a direct effect on who you face in the knockout playoff rounds and the Last 16 should you make it.

Finishing in 9th or 10th position subsequently means you face 24th or 23rd in the table via a computer related simulation. Then it trickles down, so 11th or 12th plays 22nd or 21st.

Reo Hatate of Celtic scores in a Champions League football match against Leipzig on 5 November, 2024, in Glasgow. Photo IMAGO (The Celtic Star)

Finishing off at Villa Park

A tricky tie awaits should Celtic complete the job in match-day seven and ease the nerves heading to Villa Park in late January. Celtic Park will be rocking in a months’ time knowing that a victory would secure double digit matches in the Champions League for the first ever time!

Securing qualification will be amazing and then there’s the chance to push up the table in the last match against away to Aston Villa.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Thirties

By popular demand, both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties are now available on Amazon Kindle, with the links to order below. Signed copies of both volumes are available on hardback from Celtic Star Books and if you would like author Matt Corr to add a special Christmas dedication to your copies please let us know. Postage deadline for Christmas is next Wednesday. Order hardback copies HERE or for Amazon Kindle click on the links below…

Click to order