After their great performance against Real Madrid earlier in the campaign, Celtic fans would have hoped for the club to make an impact in the competition this season. And while the improvements made across the pitch under the management of Ange Postecoglou are clear, the results have not particularly changed in Europe.
When the draw for the 2022/23 Champions League took place and Celtic subsequently got a tough group consisting of clubs such as Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar, many had sensed it as an opportunity to show the world how far this team had come both in terms of substance and style.
While they have done so to a certain degree, the fact of the matter is, Postecoglou’s men currently find themselves at the bottom of their group, with just one point from three games.
The chances of making the knockout stage of the Champions League are slim at best. And on top of that, the injuries have made things worse for the reigning champions of Scotland. RB Leipzig beat them 3-1 away in Germany recently, and a lot will be hanging in the balance when the two teams meet in Glasgow.
Former Celtic striker makes brutally honest admission about losing to RB Leipzig
As reported by 67 Hail Hail, while speaking to The Go Radio Football Show, John Hartson said:
"“We did ever so well to get back into the game with Jota’s goal, and then ultimately Leipzig just came on strong, I can’t argue with the result, Leipzig were the better team and deserved to win. I’m not arguing with the fact that Celtic lost, on another night they could have maybe got something.“They have got a player, Nkunku, who has a £90m release clause, that’s a £70m centre forward they have. We are up against a team that have got real, real quality. It’s not to say we haven’t but it’s what we are up against. We are almost punching above our weight and that’s the level we are at.“We have got to strive and get better at this level, but there is no shame in the performance, I thought it was okay, it wasn’t great. We showed good character to get back in it but then I thought Leipzig were too strong, too tactically aware, they had the lion’s share of the ball, and controlled the middle of the park.”"
Celtic’s only scorer in the game was Jota, while a strike from Christopher Nkunku and a brace from Andre Silva paved the way for victory for the home side. Both teams lock horns in a return leg on Tuesday next week and a lot will be depending on that fixture.
If Celtic can somehow get a win then their hopes will remain intact. On the other hand, if they lose or even draw, one can consider their qualification chances as good as over, especially with an away game at Santiago Bernabeu remaining.