As Celtic left the Stadion Wojska Polskiego, their captain was chatting about seeking to get there.
“We spoke about it as a team that we want to arrive and the only way to do that is to get factors,” stated Callum McGregor.
A 5-12 months hiatus from the Champions League was brought to a glittering close with a 3- defeat at home to holders Real Madrid final week. Plaudits were gained, but not details as the Scottish Champions then turned to Shakhtar Donetsk.
In Warsaw, a 1-1 draw was claimed, but in reality, it could and probably ought to have been more presented the total of likelihood created.
But, with a place on the board, how have Celtic carried out so much, and what is to appear?
Pushing, plaudits & a issue
When the team was drawn, Celtic supporters would have been salivating. A date with glitterati in Serious, being paired with a Shakhtar side actively playing their residence game titles in Poland, and a RB Leipzig workforce Rangers toppled very last yr in the Europa League.
From True, Ange Postecoglou’s side flew out the traps in a very first 50 percent complete of probabilities, such as a McGregor energy off an upright. In the stop, Authentic motored away, with the Celtic manager citing his disappointment that his group didn’t push them even more.
Jump ahead a week and the chances were still flowing against the Ukrainians. Reo Hatate’s deflected hard work was the only a single to uncover the web, nevertheless, with Kyogo Furuhashi, Greg Taylor, David Turnbull and Giorgios Giakoumakis all heading near.
Of Celtic’s 16 attempts, only 6 ended up on target. Their shot accuracy was down at 37.5% even with 12 coming within the box, with 37 touches in the opposition’s penalty space highlighting how much they flirted with introducing to their guide.
These figures are in contrast to blistering domestic type, in which they have scored 25 goals in six Scottish Premiership matches. Though a phase up in opposition will account for some of this, Giakoumakis missing when unmarked in the box was a single obvious work which need to have been transformed.
“I considered second 50 percent we had been actually fantastic and produced 4 or 5 major odds,” reported McGregor. “The future phase is to set just one of those absent and win the recreation, but this provides us perception and with any luck , that will be there in the game titles to arrive.”
A 3-way combat for third?
In spite of coming into the group as a pot four staff, Celtic would have been self-confident that at least a 3rd-location complete was in access, with RB Leipzig extra than probable to get 2nd.
Nonetheless, the Germans’ 4-1 residence humbling by Shakhtar on matchday one left the door ajar for the Ukrainians and Celtic to elbow their way into the blend. That is why there will be additional than a tinge of frustration a few details weren’t claimed in Poland.
Irrespective of leaving it late from the Leipzig, True are exactly where absolutely everyone envisioned them to be at the summit of Team F with six factors from 6. Let’s believe they’re going to stay there.
Celtic’s marketing campaign will be designed or broken by the time they head to the Bernabeu on match working day 6, you would have imagined.
A double header from bottom-put Leipzig, setting up in Germany in 3 weeks, will be a key marker for Postecoglou’s team, especially offered Shakhtar will be in the midst of two games towards Serious.
If they can protect against Leipzig profitable and claim a few factors in Glasgow, it will be a sizeable move toward some sort of knockout football.
Then it’ll be up to the Ukrainians to do what they’ve never ever managed just before – prevent Celtic beating them at Parkhead. Quick, eh?
“Tonight will give us a different bit to feel we can get anything in the team,” insisted McGregor. “A stage is a superior outcome when you arrive below absent.
“Naturally the property fixtures will usually be significant but to get a little something on the board tonight was seriously crucial much too, and an additional phase for us to go a minimal bit a lot more.
“It truly is just a further very little marker we can work toward and ideally the following round of fixtures we can go and get that get.”
