RB Leipzig player makes superb claim about 'special' Celtic Park

It was some night of Champions League football at Celtic Park this week. The Bhoys delivered a terrific performance against RB Leipzig and deservedly ran out 3-1 winners. Three more valuable points in the bag for the Hoops as qualification to the next phase starts to look like a very real possibility.

Celtic fans weren’t sure what to expect before the match. A top result against Slovan Bratislava and a defiant draw against Atalanta offered hope. However, a terrible performance against Borussia Dortmund was a reminder of what can happen against top-class opposition.

And that's what RB Leipzig are. They may be struggling for points in the Champions League so far this season, but they sit in second place in the Bundesliga, behind only Bayern Munich while Borussia Dortmund are fifth.

Naturally, many fans and the media had already dismissed Celtic's chances before the game had even started. And yet, the Hoops managed to get themselves a relatively comfortably victory, leaving a lot of doubters surprised.

RB Leipzig player makes superb claim about 'special' Celtic Park

The amazing Celtic performance seemed to surprise the RB Leipzig players on the pitch at times. As reported by Leipziger Volkszeitung, Kevin Kampl said:

"It took us five minutes to accept the atmosphere, the game, then we had everyone under control until the 35th minute. We take the lead and still have chances to increase. The double blow then brought us back down to earth. The mood came back, the atmosphere pushed Celtic. If we make it 2-0 in the first half, we can make the stadium even quieter. So it was difficult in the second half. We tried everything, but Celtic had an answer to everything. They were not impressed. We were always a step too late and then it was an endurance run. There was no more in the second half. You have to be that honest. This is very bitter. We didn't let ourselves be surprised, but we also played against a great team and of course the stadium is something special."

Kampl’s comments were followed by striker Christoph Baumgartner. According to the Daily Record, he said:

"After they equalised, Celtic were definitely the better team. Many of their big chances were our own fault, especially the equaliser when we allowed Nicolas Kuhn to go on his left foot and shoot. Celtic were well organised and put us in trouble when we played it out from the back.

"We were missing something against Celtic and against Borussia Dortmund. Everyone needs to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether that was enough."

Strong words indeed from both players. But honest too, this was no fluke result, the win was well deserved. It showed that the Celtic style of play under Brendan Rodgers can have a place in the Champions. There was lots of pace and very slick passing combined with a strong pressing approach high up the pitch. That was apparent for all three goals, with the press especially evident for the second goal just before half time. 

A great night indeed. The Bhoys have made Europe take notice with a real statement. The RB Leipzig players certainly got it!