Celtic 1-0 BSC Young Boys – Three talking points after Celtic Champions League progression

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The Celtic Star

·23 de enero de 2025

Celtic 1-0 BSC Young Boys – Three talking points after Celtic Champions League progression

Celtic confirmed their progression to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in over a decade after claiming all three points against Young Boys in one of the strangest games I can remember witnessing at Celtic Park in a long time…

Marvin Keller saves from Adam Idah only for the ball to ricochet off Loris Bonito and go into the net for an own goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

I was fully confident that Celtic would brush Young Boys aside in the lead up to this contest, and the way we came out of the blocks this evening, I thought my pre-game prediction would come to fruition but this game panned out to be one of the strangest games in living memory.

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Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates after scoring a goal which is later disallowed following an offside decision during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It was a game that literally had everything. We had times when Celtic were utterly dominant. We also had stages were Young Boys looked like the team more likely to score. We had three disallowed goals, incredibly ‘scored’ by the same player. We had a missed penalty. Then we had moments of goalkeeping brilliance at either end. Then finally we had the breakthrough we were all waiting for, which came in the form of an own goal. Then just to add to the drama we had a sending off, leaving us watching the final moments of the game through our fingers.

Referee Rohit Saggi shows a red card to Daizen Maeda during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

When all was said and done however we got the crucial three points that we needed which was enough to confirm our place in the knockout stages which is a huge achievement for Brendan Rodgers and his players. After that whirlwind of a contest there are many thoughts reverberating around my head but I will focus on the three points that were most prominent in my thoughts as the final whistle blew.

1. Progressing past the group stage is a huge achievement

As I mentioned earlier, our win against Young Boys tonight guaranteed our progression into the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since the 2012/13 campaign under Neil Lennon. Current manager Brendan Rodgers will be absolutely delighted by this as he has stated previously that making the club more successful on the European stage was one of his key objectives during his second stint in charge.

Adam Idah celebrates after Loris Benito of BSC Young Boys (not pictured) concedes an own goal, resulting in the first goal for Celtic, during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The current format is definitely something that has helped Celtic in this regards and is something I will discuss in my next article but either way we have done fantastically well in Europe this year. Dortmund aside, we have proven we are no longer potential whipping boys for the top sides, with even our away form starting to improve.

The group stage phase will end next week with a tough game against Aston Villa and I hope that it’s one we give our all in even though we have already qualified. Not only will the result have a huge bearing on who we will meet in the knockout stage, it’s also a game against a Premier League side who just love to look down their noses at Scottish football. Our recent record against the English elite is more than satisfactory, let’s continue that trend and at least leave Villa Park with a point.

2. Extending Kasper Schmeichel’s stay at Celtic Park was an excellent decision

Before this crucial game tonight against Young Boys we got word that goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had penned a new deal with the club that would see him remain in Glasgow for at least another season and I personally thought that was an excellent decision. After his heroics tonight, you will have to search far and wide to find a Celtic fan who isn’t happy with that decision. Let’s not beat about the bush, Kasper’s double save in the second half rescued us from a nightmare scenario where a night which promised so much ended in total disaster.

UEFA Champions League 2024 2025, Celtic Glasgow vs Young Boys Bern YB Celtic Park. Kasper Schmeichel cheers Celtic’s 1- 0 victory. Photo JOERAN STEINSIEK (IMAGO)

As Celtic dominated in the first half, Kasper Schmeichel played the role of a bystander, one he has become accustomed to at times this season as Celtic have reigned domestically. The mark of a good Celtic goalkeeper however is one who can doing nothing for large portions of a game then suddenly spring to life when called upon and Kasper proved he’s one of he best tonight by producing that excellent double save to keep us in the game.

We have been blessed with excellent goalkeepers over the past decade or so and Kasper is adding his name to that list of greats. A one year contract extension is the least he deserves.

3. Reo Hatate proving his worth on the biggest stage of all

I would regard myself as a positive Celtic fan, one who has a lot of patience with players and won’t lambast them after one or two poor games. This season I’ve written articles on The Celtic Star supporting the likes or Adam Idah and Liam Scales when they have had bad games but I have to admit that at times during this campaign I have found myself frustrated with one Celtic player, Reo Hatate.

I think the frustration comes from the fact that I know there is a good player in there but a lot of the time this season it has just seemed like he has been going through the motions.

Reo Hatate during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22,2025.Photo:JustPictures.ch. Richard Callis (IMAGO)

Tonight however I thought Reo Hatate was excellent. I’m not sure who actually got man of the match but for me there was only one choice and that was the Japanese midfielder. His ball which led to the goal was a thing of absolute beauty and one that very few players in Scottish football could pull off. I regard Hatate as an enigma, which is rare to find in football these days. The way football has gone managers prefer a player who is super fit and physical. It often seems that being a perfect athlete is more important than being a great footballer. Hatate however is a player who still retains that bit of magic.

I will admit at times during this season I have bemoaned Reo but tonight he showed us the player we all know is there, the one we pray we get when we see his name on the team sheet. The one that can turn a game on its head with a piece of pure class. He provided that tonight but on top of that i thought his overall contribution was excellent. He was constantly probing and prodding trying to find gaps in the oppositions defence. He also chased and harried as well as anyone in the team and to me was the standout player tonight.

A great night for Celtic Football Club and all us fans, it was a lot more edgy than I imagined it would be but we got there in the end. Onwards and upwards from here, let’s put a performance in at Villa Park then see what lies in wait for us in the knockout stages.

Hail Hail!

Conall McGinty