4432 days ago, which in many Celtic fans’ eyes might be considered an eternity, was the last time Celtic secured progress to the knock-out stages of the Champions League - on December 5, 2012 with a 2–1 home win over Spartak Moscow. Kris Commons scored the winning goal on 82 minutes with a ferocious penalty and Celtic were drawn against Juventus in the knock-out round, but succumbed to a 5–0 aggregate defeat in the Spring of 2013 to exit at the last 16 stage.
Since then, we’ve suffered disappointment and failure - in equal measures - in Europe’s premier club competition for a team with a rich European history. To name only a few haunting memories we have seen absolute drubbings from Barcelona and PSG, to the flat-out embarrassment of the 1st leg 1-0 defeat to Gibraltarian minnows Lincoln Red Imps in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at the club. In our most recent campaigns (one under Ange, and one under Brendan) we managed just one win, which was our first home win in the Champions League since we beat Ajax 2-1 in the 2013-14 campaign.
As we entered this current campaign under the new and exciting format the manager spoke about the desire to make progress in the Champions League.
“When we started this journey, we wanted to show we can compete at this level and can we go and make the next steps.”
Brendan Rodgers speaking to the media on 21st January ahead of the Young Boys game
For many fans, domestic dominance is great (especially over your arch-rivals from across Glasgow) but true progression in Europe at the elite level would have been at the top of the wish list entering this season. Allied to that is the club’s commitment to progress with the investment from the Board in the current squad over the past two years since Brendan’s return to the club. Combining his excellent coaching abilities with his undoubted talent for developing and enhancing young players - none more so than the transformation in Nicolas Kuhn - the blueprint for success has been taking shape.
After the draw was made on August 29 with the usual glitz and glamour we have come to expect from UEFA (including an epic promo video featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic), Celtic fans were excited about the chance of tangible progress given home ties against Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig, Club Brugges and Young Boys. Entering matchday 7 of 8, we found ourselves on 9 points from our first six games with a golden opportunity to secure knock-out football once again versus the pointless Young Boys.
In the build-up the Manager spoke about “playing the game and not the occasion”. So far in this Champions League campaign it’s fair to say that Celtic have risen to the occasion, crucially winning back-to-back home games versus RB Leipzig and Slovan Bratislava and earning valuable points away from home to Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb. So, with the stage set for a raucous night at Celtic Park under the lights we waited with bated breath in anticipation of that fabled progress.
In typical Celtic fashion, we never do anything easily and last night’s game was no different. In the first half Kyogo had an unusual hat-trick – three disallowed goals, two correctly for offside and one for a foul by Callum McGregor in the buildup. Prior to this wild sequence where two goals were disallowed in a two-minute spell, Celtic had started the game very well. Our pressing was excellent, Maeda and Kuhn were getting into the channels consistently and causing the Young Boys full-backs all sorts of problems with only the final ball missing. Five minutes from half-time Celtic were awarded a penalty for a foul on Greg Taylor. Up until that moment Arne Engels had been automatic from the penalty spot (6 for 6) but this time the trademark stutter hindered rather than helped, and we went in at half-time with the game certainly in the balance despite our domination.
As the second half started you could sense the atmosphere was getting tense and Young Boys began to grow into the game while Celtic started to force the issue at times causing unforced errors. Then on 62 minutes, Kasper Schmeichel showed exactly why we brought him to the club with a stunning double-save to deny Darian Males. You know, even at home in Europe, there will be times when you need your keeper to make a special save (or two). As the game entered the final corridor you felt it was going to take a moment of brilliance or a lucky bounce to decide this game and in our case, it was both.
As the clock ticked over to 85 minutes Celtic brilliantly built the play from one side to the other in typical fashion for a team under Brendan Rodgers. Hatate, who had an excellent game throughout plays an incredible inch-perfect pass with his weaker left foot for Idah to run in behind. Idah forced Keller into another great save on the evening, only for the ball to ricochet off captain Loris Benito who stumbled to the ground as he agonisingly watched the ball bounce into his own net. Cue the eruption and jubilation among the supporters as the knock-out phase was within reach!
The drama wasn’t over though, and Daizen Maeda was then sent off for kicking out at Mo Camara, which means he will miss the final match versus Aston Villa and if UEFA deem it as serious foul play, he will miss both legs of the knockout tie whoever that turns out to be against.
As the clock ran down to the final few seconds Schmeichel was needed one last time getting down smartly to his left to make a routine save. The look on the manager’s face said it all – relief – and as Kasper booted the ball into the Glasgow sky every Celtic fan in the stadium and around the world shared the same feeling.
As Celtic fans, we have been crying out for the team to show development and the maturity needed in Europe at the highest level. Massive credit to the players for finding ways to win these types of games but equally for not losing the ones in Atalanta and Zagreb - which are now massive points towards the progress we all so dearly craved. For the manager, it’s a massive feather in his cap and when he finally looks back on his two spells as Celtic manager many years from now it will surely be one of his fondest memories. Celtic’s story in this competition has been one of heartache for too long, and the fruitless decade we’ve just endured must serve as a poignant reminder to savour moments like this.