Fortress Paradise – Three consecutive Champions League wins at Celtic Park

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The Celtic Star

·6 novembre 2024

Fortress Paradise – Three consecutive Champions League wins at Celtic Park

Celtic’s stunning 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig officially confirmed the turning of a page in Europe under Brendan Rodgers…

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)

Scintillating German winger Nicolas Kuhn

Scintillating German winger Nicolas Kuhn’s spectacular double, followed by Reo Hatate’s pouncing finish following a dreadful error from Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulasci sealed the Hoops a statement victory against Marco Rose’s outift who sit second in the Bundesliga. In doing so, the Leipzig manager’s run of four consecutive victories over the Scottish champions came to a crushing end.

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Champions League Reo Hatate celebrates after scoring in the second half of a Champions League football match against Leipzig on Nov. 5, 2024, Photo Imago (The Celtic Star).

The Bundesliga side sit on zero points after four matches

While the defeat for Celtic’s opposition sees the Bundesliga side sit on zero points after four matches in the new revamped League phase format, Brendan Rodgers men are flying. Seven points with half of our games remaining establishes Celtic only need one more victory to secure an impressive top 24 finish. Three wins from either of Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, BSC Young Boys or Aston Villa would almost guarantee a top eight finish which would insure last 16 football in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since the iconic 2012/2013 Champions League campaign.

Marco Rose, Head Coach of RB Leipzig, comforts Benjamin Henrichs of RB Leipzig at the end of the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Leipzig’s former academy graduate Nicolas Kuhn

It was Leipzig’s former academy graduate Nicolas Kuhn who wielded the dagger into their Champions League knockout stage hopes. For Celtic, it is their first win against a team from one of Europe’s top five leagues since Neil Lennon’s Hoops incredibly defeated Barcelona on 7 November 2012, which will be twelve years to the day tomorrow.

New chapters were also turned. 26 attempts later against German opposition in Europe’s elite club competition, and Celtic finally have a win to their name following a sensational display against Leipzig.

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic’s newfound resilience

When Christoph Baumgartner opened the scoring in the match, the outcome thereafter seemed a formality given that prior to yesterday evenings victory, Celtic had lost 27 of their last 28 Champions League matches when they conceded the first goal.

You would have to go back to Spartak Moscow in 2012 the last time Celtic fell behind in a group stage/league phase game and came back to win. Newfound resilience in this domain only adds to the evidence Rodgers’ Celtic are a different animal in Europe compared with previous Hoops teams in recent seasons.

Player of the match Nicolas Kuhn is pushed by team mates to celebrate in front of the Green Brigade at full-time after scoring twice in Celtic s 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig. Celtic v RB Leipzig, UEFA Champions League, Group Stage, Celtic Park, – 05 November 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Wins against Feyenoord, Slovan Bratislava and now RB Leipzig ticks off another prolonged record that was dismantled last night. It is the first time Celtic have won three consecutive Champions League matches since 2007. With encounters against Club Brugge and BSC Young Boys on the horizon, can Rodgers’ side do the clean sweep at Paradise in the competition?

The technical display on show from the Scottish champions last night was remarkable. Confidently producing a world-class performance against one of Europe’s big hitters on this stage should give the players belief that they can strive for top eight finish in the Champions League. Supporters should be allowed to dream, and Brendan Rodgers looks as if he has turned Celtic Park back into a fortress again under the lights in Europe.

Conor Spence

Celtic in The Thirties – out now!

Matt Corr’s highly anticipated Celtic in the Thirties (Volumes One & Two) are available now on Celtic Star Books. Order your copies today and receive signed copies which will be posted straight away. Order at celticstarbooks.com