We’re at the half way point of the European competition league phases, and things are looking pretty good for all three of our representatives. We’ll come back to Rangers and Hearts tomorrow, but tonight it’s Celtic v Club Brugge on match day five of the Champions League. Kick off at Celtic Park is at 8pm, and it’s live on TNT Sports 3.
At the half way point, Celtic were sitting in fifteenth place on seven points, although that’s obviously changed a bit given the matches played on Tuesday night. Fifteenth would be good enough to not only make the knockout stages, but be seeded there and so get the home leg second. But obviously with four more games to go a lot can change before then!
Celtic opened up their campaign with a 5-1 home win over Slovan Bratislava from pot four. Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah with the Celtic goals, Kevin Wimmer with the visitors.
Then they lost 7-1 away to Borussia Dortmund from pot one, their only defeat so far this season in any competition. Karim Adeyemi with a hat trick, as well as two goals from Serhou Guirassy and one each from Emre Can and Felix Nmecha. Daizen Maeda with what was an equaliser at that point in the game.
The goalless draw away to Atalanta from pot two got things back on track.
And last time out was the impressive 3-1 win at home to RB Leipzig from pot one. Christoph Baumgartner gave the visitors the lead, but Nicolas Kuhn had the game turned around before half time before Reo Hatate for the clinching third in the second half.
Celtic have never met Club Brugge before. Of the three Belgian teams they have met previously, Anderlecht have been the most recent in both 2003/04 and 2017/18 in the Champions League group stages.
Anderlecht won 1-0 last time out, a Jozo Simunovic own goal the difference and the only time a Belgian side have won at Celtic Park, but as Celtic had won 3-0 over in Belgium it was still enough to ensure Celtic finished third in the group ahead of them on the head to head.
The 2003 meeting at Celtic Park saw Celtic win 3-1. Henrik Larsson, Liam Miller and Chris Sutton actually had Celtic 3-0 up in the opening half an hour, with Aruna Dindane getting a second half consolation after Magnus Hedman had saved the penalty and the first rebound.
Gent were the first Belgian visitors to Celtic Park, losing 3-0 in the first round of the 1984/85 Cup Winners’ Cup. Frank McGarvey got the first two, turning around the 1-0 first leg deficit, with Paul McStay getting the third. But then came Rapid Vienna, which was not an occasion for the record books. And yes, despite Celtic playing in their away kit, this was the home game!
The other Belgian visitors were Germinal Ekeren in the 1991/92 UEFA Cup first round. They lost 2-0 that night, Charlie Nicholas getting both goals, and the second leg was a 1-1 draw. But Celtic’s next opponents were Neuchatel Xamax, which is another occasion Celtic would rather forget in the record books!
Club Brugge are no strangers to Scotland though. They were in the first Champions League branded group stage (and the second European Cup group stage) along side Rangers in 1992/93. The game at Ibrox was a 2-1 win for Rangers, Ian Durrant opening the scoring in the first half, Lorenzo Staelens equalising early in the second half before Scott Nisbet got the winner with fifteen minutes to go.
Club Brugge were 22nd going into match day five, thanks to picking up six points from their first four game. But like Celtic, they lost to Borussia Dortmund from pot one, albeit only 3-0 at home. Jamie Gittens opened the scoring with fifteen minutes remaining, before adding the second with a few minutes left. Serhou Guirassy added a penalty deep into injury time.
They then won 1-0 away to Sturm Graz from pot four courtesy of Christos Tzolis.
Before losing 3-1 away to AC Milan from pot two. Christian Pulisic opening the scoring for Milan, Kyriani Sabbe equalising after Raphael Onyedika had seen red to reduce Brugge to ten men, but two goals from Tijjani Reijnders kept the points in Italy.
Mind you, last time out they won 1-0 at home against the team that were previously top of the table, Aston Villa from pot four. You might have seen this penalty doing the rounds. Han Vanaken scored it, but that was after Tyrone Mings had handled the ball thinking the goal kick hadn’t been taken yet!
After tonight it doesn’t get any easier for Club Brugge though. We’re their away game from pot three, next up they have Sporting Club de Portugal from pot three at home, followed by Juventus from pot two at home and then Manchester City from pot one away to play. Their six points have come from their two pot four teams.
Celtic on the other hand will have played both their pot one and pot two teams after tonight, as Club Brugge are pot two. That just leaves Dinamo Zagreb and Young Boys from pot three, and Aston Villa from pot four. But then two of those will be away from home, with Young Boys the only team still to come to Glasgow.
On Saturday, Club Brugge won 7-0 at home against St Truiden. But that win still only sees them second in the table, six points behind leaders Genk after fifteen games. They’ll host FCV Dender EH on Saturday.
Celtic also won on Saturday, 4-1 away to Hearts. That win sees them top of the Scottish Premiership, three points clear of second place Aberdeen. Next up they’ll host Ross County on Saturday.
Good luck to Celtic tonight!
