Celtic

Rampant Celtic overpowered Slovan Bratislava at a jubilant Celtic Park to win their opening Champions League game for the first time ever in impressive style.

On a rare occasion when they began a game in Europe's premier competition as favourites, Brendan Rodgers' side delivered an invigorating performance full of energy and poise.

Goals galore and dancing under the disco lights.

Let us know your thoughts on the performance, the result and everything in between.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We played well in the first half, got the early goal that we wanted, had other more opportunities to be more clinical, but I just felt we were taking one touch too many," he said.

"A couple of little positional changes, there was too much movement in the first half at times.

"You could see right from the off in the second half, the players were absolutely sensational. When we turned the screw, we were really, really difficult to play against.

"Mentality, hunger, greedy for more goals, greedy for the ball, everyone working right until the very end and we could've had more than five.

"There was big expectation coming into the game, but for us it was just about us not complicating the game.

"When we turned the screw in the second half, we were really, really difficult to play against.

"It's the start that we wanted, I don't think we could have asked for a better start, except for a clean sheet which was unfortunate we didn't keep.

"Our next three games are tough but exciting, we've made a fantastic start."

On back-to-back wins in the Champions League, he said, "It's a little step, but an important step we've taken."

On Celtic's struggles in this competition of late, Brendan Rodgers said, "I want to change that mood and that feeling. We've worked on that from the beginning of pre-season so that we can have that belief.

"This is the level, just don't overthink it.

"The razzmatazz around the Champions League is amazing, but we are playing a team who are defending in 4-4-2, which we will play against here in the league, okay it's different tiers, but it's still the same idea."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

The Celtic story in the Champions League in the last decade has been wearily familiar, with the storied Glasgow fortress of old fading into distant memory, replaced with tales of defensive woe and a stack of painful losses.

Rodgers part in that - despite continued domestic dominance - has also come under scrutiny, with the Northern Irishman managing just two wins as Celtic boss in 18 games in the Champions League prior to this one.

Here they were presented with a huge opportunity to win their opening game at the 13th attempt, against a Slovan side with less means and making their first appearance at this level.

Rodgers himself said this was the best he had ever felt coming into a European campaign after a strong summer window and start to the domestic season.

There was pressure, then, to make a mark and they duly did with a slick performance which provided too much for the Slovakian champions.

Record signing Engels was hugely influential as Celtic passed with purpose and speed, as well as hounding their visitors every time they lost the ball.

Engels, Kyogo, and Maeda all could have netted hat-tricks such was Celtic's dominance as they repeatedly worked the ball neatly through midfield and down the sides of the porous Bratislava backline.

With trips to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, plus a home game against RB Leipzig to come, the tests will only get sterner from now.

However, this performance here re-ignited the European fire at Celtic Park and sets them up well to make a fist of reaching the play-off round in this revamped format, where a place in the top 24 keeps the campaign going.

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Four shots, one goal. A no bad night for Daizen Maeda.

His pace troubled Slovan Bratislava all night long and the visitors could not get a handle on him.

His goal, Celtic's fourth, was a lovely move with a cracking assist from Reo Hatate.

A livewire alert to all.

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Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, Engels, Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda.

Substitutes: Sinisalo, Trusty, Palma, Idah, Valle, Yang, McCowan, Nawrocki, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh.

Slovan Bratislava: Takac, Blackman, Kashia, Bajric, Wimmer, Ihnatenko, Kucka, Barseghyan, Tolic, Weiss, Strelec.

Substitutes: Trnovsky, Hrdina, Voet, Medvedev, Marcelli, Mak, Zuberu, Gajdos, Vojtko, Szoke, Savvidis, Metsoko.

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Celtic can expect Slovan Bratislava "to go all in" on Wednesday, says Slovakian football journalist Lukas Vrablik.

The Scottish champions welcome the visitors to Glasgow for their first ever match in the Champions League proper.

On paper, many suggest last season's Slovakian top-flight winners are Celtic's most realistic chance of getting three points in the competition's revamped league phase.

However, Vrablik says the away side thrive off being the underdog for games like Wednesday's.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he added: "It's been a long road for Slovan Bratislava. I think they are going to go all in.

"Even if they are outsiders, they like that position to be in. They really like playing against the odds and I think that will be the case in all their games.

"From the point of playing style they should really play their typical game, which is usually counter-attacking.

"I don't think they will park the bus, they are not like that, but I think they will be a little bit defensive-minded."

Tino
Fan writer

On the back of Celtic’s 100% start to the domestic campaign – one that’s seen them score 17 goals and concede just once in six matches - there's a confidence, an energy, and some serious momentum coursing through Brendan Rodgers' side.

An altogether different challenge begins tonight though, as the Bhoys return to European football in the newly-revamped Champions League.

This stage provides the real test of just how far we've progressed in the season or so since Rodgers returned to the hotseat and brings an opportunity for the manager to address a European record that's in stark contrast to his domestic success.

For clarity, he has overseen 18 Champions League Group games for Celtic. He has won just two.

The hope – and dare I say expectation – however, is that tonight's clash with Slovan Bratislava will see another result added to that win column.

Make no mistake about it, if we're to have genuine aspirations of progress among Europe's elite then a win over the Slovakians is simply a must.

And while based on our recent record we have no right to expect a win against ANY European opposition, this vibrant looking Celtic side, complete with a flurry of smart summer additions, will be confident of three points at a packed Celtic Park.

With every respect to the Slovaks, tougher tests await just around the corner with Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and Leipzig providing the opposition for our next three European fixtures.

On that basis alone Celtic are duly obliged to secure the win tonight, and to provide a solid platform for the remaining seven games.

Incredibly, in 12 attempts Celtic have yet to win an opening fixture in the Champions League.

However, under Rodgers' guidance it feels like several things are changing at Celtic Park just now. Let's hope that record is one of them.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Paulo Bernardo says Celtic are a club that need competition for places, despite the midfielder losing his spot in the team to Arne Engels at the weekend.

Following an impressive performance in the 3-0 victory over Rangers, the 22-year-old found himself on the bench for the visit of Hearts on Saturday.

Fellow summer signing Engels, who joined late in the window for a club record fee, started in Bernardo's place and scored a penalty in the 2-0 win.

But the Portuguese midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Celtic, says "competition is always good".

Speaking prior to the team's Champions League opener against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, Bernardo said: "It's really good for us and for me. The team needs that [competition].

"We can grow faster... we have a lot of games so it will be nice to have very good quality in those positions."

On Wednesday's game at Celtic Park and the upcoming European campaign, Bernardo added: "It's a different format so I think we have more chance now. It's like a league. It could be good for us.

"But step by step, game by game, let's see what we can achieve. It will always be difficult. We are here to dream so we will do as much as we can to achieve that knockout stage."

Former Celtic striker Tony Watt - scorer of THAT famous winner against Barcelona in 2012 - is backing Brendan Rodgers' side to open with victory over Slovan Bratislava on another raucous Champions League occasion at Parkhead.

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• Celtic and Slovan Bratislava have faced on two previous occasions, with both of those meetings coming in the quarter-final of the 1963-64 Cup Winners' Cup. The Scottish side won both legs by a 1-0 scoreline, before being eliminated in the semi-final by MTK Budapest (3-4 on aggregate).

• Slovan Bratislava's last victory over a British side in major European competition was in September 1975, beating Derby County 1-0 in the first round of the European Cup (first leg). Since then, they have played nine such matches and failed to win all of them (D2 L7), including defeats in the last five.

• This is the 28th edition of the European Cup that Celtic have been involved in, with Manchester United (30) the only British team to appear in more (Liverpool also on 28, as of 2024-25).

• Celtic have never won their opening game of a Champions League campaign, drawing two and losing 10 of those. They've not scored a goal in their opening match since 2006-07, in a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

• Slovan Bratislava have qualified for the Champions League for the first time, becoming just the fourth Slovakian side to play in the competition, after FC VSS Kosice in 1997/98, FC Petrzalka 1898 in 2005/06 and MSK Zilina in 2010/11 (all of whom went out at the group stage).

• Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has won just 13% of his games in the Champions League (W3 D6 L15); the lowest win percentage of any manager with 20+ matches in the competition.

• Celtic conceded the most goals of any side between the 75th and 90th minute (not including added time) in the Champions League last season (6), while also failing to score themselves in that period.

• Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo averaged 86.5 high-intensity pressures per 90 in the Champions League last season; the most of any player in the tournament (min. 300 minutes played).

Former Celtic captain Scott Brown, who is now managing Ayr United, and Hoops assistant coach John Kennedy are among the contenders for the St Johnstone job. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.

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"All our lives we’ve been talking about Celtic and Rangers."

Slovan Bratislava manager Vladimir Weiss is well known to Celtic fans - as is his son of the same name.

Weiss senior led Artmedia Bratislava to a 5-0 victory in Gordon Strachan’s first match in charge of Celtic in 2005, before hanging on for a 5-4 aggregate success.

Weiss junior played on loan at Rangers in season 2010-11.

Both return to Glasgow on Wednesday as Slovan take their Champions League bow.

"Of course there are memories and nobody can take them away from you but now we are up against a Celtic side that are faster and have a different style of play than 19 years ago," said the visiting coach.

"We know what to expect. We have several players who have played here before and they know about the atmosphere.

"A lot of players have said this is the best atmosphere in the world. We have enough experience to not give in to this atmosphere and not make mistakes.

"We know that most of the game we will be under pressure. Just like we get emotion and energy from our fans, Celtic will get that. So you have to have self-confidence and discipline."

Slovan forward Weiss is now 34, with his father adding: "My son played for Rangers and he’s a Rangers fan and he will face Celtic, their arch rival.

"When he was here at Rangers, they won the double. So he has the best memories. And the derby with Celtic is the best.

"He had a great time and he will play Celtic again and we’ll see how it goes."

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Brendan Rodgers is relishing the task of improving Celtic’s Champions League fortunes as he looks to make it an "amazing" opening night.

Celtic open their campaign at home to Slovan Bratislava, who have come through four rounds of qualifying where they earned away draws at APOEL in Cyprus and Midtjylland in Denmark.

"I look at us now as a club, progressing, looking forward, you see the club has supported us fantastic in the summer," said manager Rodgers.

“And we want to be able to do that again in some other areas because we want to keep growing.

"We don't want just the benchmark to be domestic. We want to improve and do well in Europe.

"It's an amazing level to be involved in. I love the challenge, I relish the challenge. The players love playing at it.

"That's why you work all year, to win your league, to win your title, to get to nights like this which will be amazing for them."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media before Celtic's Champions League opener at home to Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night.

Here are the key points from the Celtic boss:

• Rodgers says this is the most "ready" he’s ever been for a Champions League campaign as Celtic manager, across both his spells.

• He points to the transition period of last season and previous Champions League campaigns in his first stint when he had to come through qualifying.

• The Parkhead boss says the board have been "absolutely brilliant" with the backing they've given him over the summer. Over £31m was spent in the transfer window in which Celtic twice broke their transfer record, according to chairman Peter Lawwell.

• Rodgers says his ambition for this season's new Champions League format is to reach the play-offs. To do that he accepts Celtic must pick up points at home, starting with all three against Slovan Bratislava.

• The Celtic manager bristled slightly when asked if wants to be judged at Champions League level. He replied that people can judge him whatever way they want and that he’s won plenty of big matches in his career.

• He did concede, however, that he wants Celtic to make progress at this level and go from "participating" to "being competitive".

• Rodgers pointed to the fact Slovan have had to come through four ties to get to this stage as evidence of their qualities.

• Rodgers says his squad is in a good place, with no significant injuries.