'Celtic must find collective steel to reverse European fortunes'

Celtic's estimation for putting pounds successful nan slope only accrued erstwhile they published their latest stellar financial figures connected Monday. Now that nan Champions League is upon them it's clip to put points connected nan board.

For a decade and more, Celtic's Champions League group-stage communicative usually began against a elephantine - Real Madrid successful 2022, PSG successful 2017, Barcelona successful 2016, Milan successful 2013 and, successful 2012, Benfica (not a behemoth, but bully capable to beryllium Europa League finalists immoderate months later).

They mislaid 4 and drew 1 of those. In 12 attempts, Celtic person ne'er won their first crippled successful nan group phase. The format has changed, though, and possibly their destiny is astir to alteration pinch it.

In Slovan Bratislava they are playing a postulation of free transfers, academy graduates and six-figure signings. Celtic's squad has been assembled for adjacent to £70m, which is astir £67m much than their rivals connected Wednesday nighttime astatine Celtic Park person spent.

Eleven different Celtic players were bought for a higher interest than nan fees of each of Slovan's players put together. All those accustomed arguments astir Celtic competing against nan financial mightiness of Europe's heavyweights do not apply. They haven't had a much winnable crippled astatine this shape of nan title since hosting Aalborg successful 2008.

That is simply a cautionary tale, of course. Celtic were basking favourites. They won a punishment and missed it. They played nan closing stages against 10 men, but couldn't return advantage. It ended 0-0.

Those astatine Celtic who cognize their caller European history won't beryllium counting their chickens, but nan Champions League draw, and nan schedule of fixtures, person fixed Celtic a glorious opportunity to statesman this tourney pinch a bang for a change. It is simply a chance that they situation not miss. In their ain place, Celtic should beryllium excessively bully for Slovan.

The shape of Rodgers' squad is encouraging. They are playing astatine a higher tempo than past season, their pressing game, work-rate and productivity look good. They've signed well. They person a spot of a strut astir them. The caveat is we're judging them connected home form, a barometer that's blown up successful everybody’s look successful nan past.

Are Celtic much than specified flat-track bullies? We're astir to get immoderate answers successful Europe. This is their testing ground, not Scotland, wherever they are odds-on to skate distant pinch nan Premiership. The Champions League will show Celtic's worthy and, indeed, Rodgers' worth.

With his home power he's written his sanction into nan cloth of nan club, but Rodgers' grounds pinch Celtic successful Europe is poor. He's been head successful 18 Champions League group games, winning two, losing 12 and drafting four. His squad has scored 15 goals pinch 49 conceded. In among that batch location are 5-0, 6-0, 7-0 and 7-1 defeats. The unusual paradox is that galore of nan worst European results successful Celtic's history person travel nether 1 of their astir convincing leaders.

When you see Europa League games, Rodgers' European grounds astatine Celtic is played 28, won six, mislaid 18, drawn four. Rodgers has mentioned his desire to amended connected that. Deep down you consciousness that it's not conscionable a wish but a raging ambition to make Celtic applicable successful Europe again.

Until they do thing astir it, their failures will beryllium thrown successful their face. There were galore matches that cipher expected Celtic to win, but location are others they could person won, but didn't, for various reasons.

These are nan lessons they must study for this campaign. Discipline, concentration, ruthlessness. Discover their soul dog. A Rottweiler alternatively than a poodle.

Last season, they had 2 reddish cards distant to Feyenoord successful their opening crippled and mislaid 2-0. Against Lazio astatine location they mislaid successful nan 90th minute. They were successful beforehand doubly against Atletico Madrid but drew 2-2. They conceded 3 times successful 16 minutes successful Madrid and doubly successful 3 minutes successful Rome.

That propensity to concede and past concede again quickly has derailed Rodgers' teams. In nan Europa League successful nan past play of his first spell successful 2018-19 they shipped 2 successful six minutes against Salzburg, 2 successful 4 minutes against Leipzig and 2 successful 7 minutes against Valencia.

In different Champions League games, they conceded 2 successful 2 minutes and different 2 successful six minutes connected nan aforesaid nighttime against PSG. Yes, it was PSG, but superior resilience was required and Rodgers' squad didn’t person it. In nan return crippled they mislaid 2 successful 4 minutes and different 2 successful six minutes. They shipped 3 goals successful 10 minutes against Barcelona successful 2016 and led 3 times against Man City, only to get pegged backmost each time. A 3-3 tie was a really bully result, but it mightiness person been more.

In his 1 Champions League season, Ange Postecoglou had a akin rumor pinch his broadside conceding goals successful clusters. These are snapshots from nan past, but past season's missed opportunities showed they were still relevant.

It's successful Rodgers' DNA to nonstop his squad retired pinch an attacking mindset, but a hardened pragmatism has to beryllium portion of nan make-up now arsenic well. Offensive, yes, but bloody-minded and obdurate, too. On a shape arsenic unforgiving arsenic Europe there's thing incorrect pinch grinding it retired and winning ugly.

Wednesday nighttime ought to spot a Celtic triumph - disfigured aliases otherwise, it doesn't really matter. But what other tin they execute successful nan months ahead? They person bully individuals, but if they are to decorativeness successful a comfortable play-off spot - wholly achievable - it's a corporate alloy they request now.

Watch highlights of each Champions League crippled from 22:00 connected Wednesday connected BBC iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website and app.

There will besides beryllium a Champions League Match of nan Day connected BBC One connected Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.