Celtic

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Brendan Rodgers and his squad "will not be getting too far ahead of themselves" after delivering a "perfect start" to their Champions League campaign, says former Celtic striker Chris Sutton.

The Scottish champions secured their biggest win in the competition with a 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava in Glasgow on Wednesday.

Despite their poor recent European record, Rodgers' men were heavy favourites before the match, but Sutton hailed his ex-side for dealing with the expectancy at Celtic Park.

"The pressure was on them," he told the BBC's Football Daily podcast. "Sixty-thousand would have been expecting them to win, but it isn't as simple as that, especially with their recent record.

"It's the perfect start, it gives them a real foothold in the competition. But it's a start, that's all it is. Rodgers and the players won't be getting to far ahead of themselves.

"Last season wasn't straightforward for Celtic. The pre-season this year was excellent and the signings have given everyone a lift. It's a draw that gives them a real opportunity, but it's all about keeping the standards high."

It's all about Celtic on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast the morning after a triumphant Champions League night.

Former midfielder Scott Allan and The Scotsman sports editor Mark Atkinson look back at the sensational 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava and analyse what it means for their Champions League campaign going forward.

Record signing Arne Engles was a standout against Bratislava, and Atkinson says the Belgian's seamless start to his Celtic career means the team aren't missing Matt O'Riley.

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Belgium midfielder Arne Engles reflect on an "amazing" atmosphere and Celtic performance after providing a goal and assist on his Champions League debut in the rout of Slovan Bratislava.

Read more: 'Class act' Engels proves value on big stage

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Former Rangers winger Vladimir Weiss said "it's nice when they remember you after such a long time" on a night his every touch was loudly booed by Celtic fans.

The Slovan Bratislava captain endured a torrid return to Glasgow, botching a chance for a first-half equaliser before Celtic ran riot in a 5-1 win to start the Champions League in style.

"I don't take these things personally, so it's okay," said Weiss of his pantomime villain treatment.

"We were expecting a really difficult game, which it was, but I had a good chance at 1-0 and maybe the game would have gone differently.

"Celtic showed the quality they have. They played so fast and we just weren't good enough in some moments.

"It's a totally different team than what I remember. They play fast and modern football which they proved and it was too much for us."

Weiss spent the 2010-11 season on loan at Ibrox, helping Rangers to a league and League Cup double.

On whether the defeat hurts more because of his Rangers connections, the 32-year-old Slovakia international said: "I loved my time at Rangers. I was only here for a year, but I was very young and I know I made some silly comments about Celtic in the past.

"I'm a totally different person now, but it was fun when I played here and I had hoped for a better result tonight."

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• Celtic have won their first match of a Champions League campaign for the first time at the 13th attempt.

• Slovan were the ninth side to concede more than five goals in their first Champions League game, after Feyenoord, Maccabi Haifa, Levski Sofia, Zurich, Sporting Braga, Rostov, Qarabag and Royal Antwerp.

• Celtic scored five goals in a single European Cup or Champions League match for the first time since September 1977 against Jeunesse Esch (6-1).

• It's the first time they have had five different scorers in this competition since September 1973 against TPS Turku.

• Having only won two of his first 23 Champions League matches (D6 L15), Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has now won his last two.

• Arne Engels was only the second player to both score and assist a goal on his Champions League debut for Celtic, after Henrik Larsson against Juventus in September 2001.

• Kasper Schmeichel was the first player aged 37 or above to appear for Celtic in the Champions League.

Joe Cole believes Celtic have shaken off their status as a Champions League "non entity" with their 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava. (Record), external

Slovan Bratislava's former Rangers winger Vladimir Weiss plays down being booed by Celtic supporters during Wednesday's loss in Glasgow, insisting he did not take it personally. (Sun), external

Johan Mjallby has jokingly congratulated Scott Brown on getting the St Johnstone job even though his fellow former Celtic player is still manager of Ayr United. (Sun), external

Ex-St Johnstone player Danny Swanson urges the Perth club to appoint Brown, 39. (Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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).