‘Crazy’ Paradise can help Hoops roll over Swiss Champions reckons Arne Engels

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The Celtic Star

·20 de janeiro de 2025

‘Crazy’ Paradise can help Hoops roll over Swiss Champions reckons Arne Engels

Celtic’s record signing Arne Engels reckons Wednesday night under the lights at Celtic Park is going to be extra special as Brendan Rodgers and his squad look to secure their place in the Champions League knock-out stages and in doing so achieve their target for European football that was set last summer before the season got underway.

Celtic FC coach Brendan Rodgers looks on before the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Atalanta BC and Celtic FC at Stadio di Bergamo on October 23, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

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Two season ago under Ange Postecoglou Celtic collected just two points in the six group stage matches and finished bottom of the group. The points total doubled to four from the six games last season with Brendan Rodgers in charge but once again Celtic finished bottom of the four team group and were eliminated before Christmas from European competition.

New Champions League format suits Celtic

This year in the new format Celtic already have nine points from six games with two games to be played, against Swiss Champions BSC Young Boys on Wednesday night at Celtic Park then the Hoops complete the newly formatted Champions League group stage next midweek with a trip to England to take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

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)

Two defeats could see Celtic eliminated and that would be terribly frustrating and a huge anti-climax after such a promising campaign where Celtic have looked very comfortable and competitive at this level in all matches barring the game against last season’s beaten Champions League finalists Dortmund.

A win secures Celtic’s qualification

On the other hand a win on Wednesday will secure Celtic’s place in the knock-out rounds and it’s a 1Win login situation that Celtic must take full advantage of. Celtic are heavy favourites to win even if the opposition will be much better than their six defeats from six games suggest.

Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Club Brugge KV at Celtic Park on November 27, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Engels certainly believes that Celtic belong at this level as he relishes the chance to get the job done and the qualification place secured after two frustrating draws against Club Brugge as Celtic Park and away to Dinamo Zagreb in a game that was there for the taking.

Alistair Johnston, as reported on The Celtic Star this morning, stressed the importance of Celtic getting a positive result against Young Boys so that they don’t have to travel to Villa Park needing something from the game.

Arne Engels of Celtic FC and Jashari Ardon of Club Brugge during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Club Brugge on November 27, 2024. Photo: Peter De Voecht

Celtic ready as a squad says Engels

Engels reckons it’s a case of third time lucky for Celtic who are unbeaten at Celtic Park in all competitions since December 2023. “Yeah, I think we are really ready as a squad and we feel also in big games against good teams that we can do really well and that we can perform,” the 21 year old Belgium international midfielder said.

“So of course as a team I think we all feel that we belong to the knockouts and we will do everything to go there. Everybody is really looking forward to it, like normal. It’s a Champions League game, it’s a really important game for us. So everybody is really looking forward to it and everybody is ready.”

January an incredibly busy month for Celtic

January has been an incredibly busy month for Celtic having already played six games and with three to go, including the two Champions League matches. The players, manager and support all recognise that the Young Boys game is Celtic biggest chance to reach objective and qualify.

Celtic v Club Brugge – UEFA Champions League – Celtic and Club Brugge line up during the UEFA Champions League match at Celtic Park on Wednesday November 27, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

“Of course it’s a big opportunity but we already played some games here so every game that we had in the Champions League was an opportunity for us to take the three points. It’s again a really big game coming up and also I think it’s next week already that we are looking forward to but now we are fully focused on the next game and that’s Young Boys,” Engels said.

Another Crazy European Night at Paradise

UEFA Champions League Press Conference, Celtic 30 09 2024 Brendan Rodgers Photo BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Buriakov

Asked if he was expecting another crazy night under the lights at Celtic Park, Engels said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. I think the supporters will be there again and we will be there so it will be a really crazy night hopefully. It’s always unbelievable to play at Celtic Park, especially at European nights. I’m really looking forward to that, feeling that again, and I think the team is also really looking forward to it.”

Swiss side’s struggles in Champions League

While the Champions of Switzerland have struggled badly in the Champions League this season they have a decent pedigree at this level in recent years and it would be wrong to take anything for granted on Wednesday night, as Engels clearly acknowledges.

Arne Engels of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and SK Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“It’s too easy to think that. It’s the Champions League and every team that is in the Champions League has really a lot of qualities, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the Champions League. So we need to be on top of our game and I think we are ready for it. As a team we are focused on what we need to do and like we showed already, these weeks we can create a lot of chances and I hope we will do the same again.”

Seven of Celtic’s nine points have come at Celtic Park with wins over Slovan Bratislava (5-1) and RB Leipzig (3-1) plus a draw against Club Brugge (1-1). That’s nine goals scored and three conceded with Celtic failing to keep a clean sheet in any of the games so far.

A bizarre own goal against Club Brugge

The Club Brugge goal would have been regarded as funny by supporters elsewhere but no-one at Celtic Park was laughing when Cameron Carter-Vickers passed the ball back to Kasper Schmeichel who wasn’t in his goals and his screams to the central defender went unheard due to the amazing volume of noise that is created on Champions League nights at Paradise.

Kasper Schmeichel speaks to his teammates during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Club Brugge KV at Celtic Park on November 27, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic have averaged three goals per game and these ratio could continue with Engels and his teammates scoring three and conceding one. Celtic celebrations go on long into the night if that assessment is correct.

Predicted Celtic Team

The Celtic team is likely to be the same as started against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup on Saturday evening: Kasper Schmeichel in goals, a back four of Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Greg Taylor; a midfield three of the Celtic captain Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate and a potent front three of Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda.

Celtic v RB Leipzig – UEFA Champions League – League Stage – Celtic Park (back to front, left to right) Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Alistair Johnston, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Daizen Maeda, Greg Taylor, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi before the UEFA Champions League, league stage match at Celtic Park, on Tuesday November 5, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

The match Celtic v BSC Young Boys match in the UEFA Champions League kicks off at 8pm (Celtic Park Time). Around 60,000 supporters will be inside Paradise to create the best atmosphere in European football and if you aren’t lucky enough to have a ticket then it’s live on TNT Sports 3 around Europe.

Celtic’s Fixtures and Results in the 2024/25 Champions League

18 September 2024: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava

1st October 2024: Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic

23 October 2024: Atalanta 0-0 Celtic

5th November 2024: Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig

27 November 2024 : Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge

10 December 2024: Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic

21 January 2025: Celtic vs BSC Young Boys, Celtic Park, kick-off 8pm

29 January 2025: Aston Villa vs Celtic, Villa Park, kick-off 8pm

The Celtic Star Score Prediction

Celtic 3-1 BSC Young Boys.

COYBIG!

Kasper Schmeichel protests after Bobby Wales scores during the Scottish Cup Fourth Round match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on January 18, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)