Celtic

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• Celtic faced Young Boys in the first round of the 1993-94 Uefa Cup, drawing 0-0 away before winning the second leg 1-0 at Celtic Park thanks to Alain Baumann's own goal.

• In all European competitions, Young Boys are winless in all three away games in Scotland (D1 L2), with this their first visit since a 1-1 draw with Rangers in December 2019 in the Europa League.

• Celtic's only defeat in their last seven Champions League matches (W3 D3) was their 7-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund in October. Across those seven games, the game at Dortmund represents 64% of the total goals they've shipped (7/11).

• Young Boys are one of only three teams without a point in this season's Champions League, along with RB Leipzig and Slovan Bratislava, losing all six games. It is the first time they've lost six games in a single major European campaign.

• Celtic have scored nine goals in three Champions League matches at Celtic Park this season, last reaching double figures for home goals in a major European campaign in 2003-04 (10), while in the European Cup they last did so in 1970-71 (13).

• Young Boys have conceded 22 goals in this season's Champions League, the most of any side and the most they've ever conceded in a major European season. They have shipped five plus goals in three games this season, with no side ever doing so in four different major European games in one season before.

• Since conceding seven goals and facing 13 shots on target against Borussia Dortmund, Celtic have only conceded twice and faced 14 shots on target. According to Opta's xGoT model, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has prevented 1.65 goals across these four games.

• This will be Giorgio Contini's first Champions League game in charge of Young Boys – four of the previous five managers to take charge of them in the competition lost their first game, with David Wagner the exception in 2021 when he beat Man Utd.

• Among players to attempt 200+ passes in this season's Champions League, only Bayern Munich's Min-Jae Kim (96.7%) has a better pass accuracy than Celtic's Auston Trusty (96.1%, 415/432).

• Young Boys goalkeeper David von Ballmoos has conceded 15 goals in four Champions League games this season – among goalkeepers to play 1,000+ minutes in the competition's history, only Milan Borjan and Ivan Kelava (both one every 30 minutes) have a worse minutes per goal conceded rate than von Ballmoos (one every 33 mins).

Celtic need "big energy and big quality" against Young Boys in their penultimate Champions League match on Wednesday, says Callum McGregor.

With nine points from six fixtures, a home win against the Swiss side would secure a place in the play-off round and maintain hopes of a place in the top eight.

And the captain believes Saturday's test against Kilmarnock was just what Celtic needed before their keenly-awaited European match.

"It was good preparation, it's is always a tough game against Kilmarnock," he told CelticTV.

"They have a couple of different ways they like to play against us but it's always a physical game so it's good that gets us to the level for Wednesday night.

"We've got to come here with big energy and play with big quality to try and get the win and then hopefully that's enough to get us to where we want to be."

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Alexandro Bernabei has formalised a move to Internacional from Celtic.

The Argentine left-back, 24, had been on loan at the Brazilian club since March and has now made the move permanent.

Argentina under-23 international Bernabei joined Celtic in 2022 and made 28 appearances for the club, scoring once.

This season, Scotland international Greg Taylor and on-loan Barcelona youngster Alex Valle have shared the Celtic left-back berth, while the Scottish champions have also been heavily linked with the return signing of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal.

Celtic need to raise their game to make history in the Champions League, says Daizen Maeda, 27, after their 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock, with the Scottish champions hosting Young Boys on Wednesday. (Record), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

We asked for your views on Celtic's 2-1 win against Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you said:

Joe: We keep creating clear chances but our strikes have lost their form. I think it's time to possibly give Johnny Kenny a chance. We played brilliantly and should have had the game won by half time and it's not for the first time this season.

Neil: Got the job done, JUST! We should have been out of sight by halftime. Performances been very inconsistent. I am mindful of the number of games we are playing. Poor finishing is costing us! Adam Idah is a big concern, is the jersey too big for him? We need a quality finisher, new striker please Brendan Rodgers. Scott Brown has never been replaced!

Martyn: Overall we played well, missed some chances and should have put them out of sight. We dominated possession again and created loads of chances that should have been put away. Hope this continues into the European games.

Duncan: Unlike the big bad wolf, Celtic huffed and puffed, and struggled to blow Killie's house down. When will somebody realise the backroom staff need to take the blame for these goalless performances.

Ray: Very wasteful but we dominated and played a lot of good football. Reo Hatate is the 33.3 per cent guy, only truly performing once in every three games. Champions League game on Wednesday should bring the team together with a must win performance.

Bear: I thought once again Celtic dominated the game, however when you don't take your chances, you leave yourselves susceptible to being drawn into a slugfest, which I thought we dealt well with. Side point, was Derek McInnes watching the same game, his tactics were naive, and his post-match comments were laughable.

Daizen Maeda's second-half goal ensured holders Celtic started the defence of their Scottish Cup with a victory over Premiership rivals Kilmarnock.

Victory extends Brendan Rodgers' unbeaten run in this competition over his two spells in charge but, after initially dominating, his league leaders were fully tested by their impressive visitors.

Celtic's intent was clear from the off. Nicolas Kuhn raced clear within 20 seconds, took a heavy touch, and caught Robbie McCrorie in the face, with the goalkeeper having to be replaced by Kieran O'Hara.

Despite that blow, the visitors almost struck first. Fraser Murray won a free-kick, took it and his curling shot thudded off the crossbar.

Immediately, Khun raced away, played in Maeda but he couldn't convert. It was an frantic opening.

Celtic were firmly on top, though, and while the opener was a great finish from Callum McGregor, the Celtic captain was afforded far too much space.

Celtic fans, were you at Parkhead or following the action from home? Either way we want to know what you made of the performance.

Have your say, external

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I don't think the scoreline reflected the game and the dominance in the game but if you don't finish your chances and opportunities Kilmarnock are a team that can hurt you,

"They play a pressure game and you've got to be strong. Overall I'm really pleased with the appetite with the team because we had so many chances the game should've been dead and buried at half time.

"Derek McInnes' team when we won 2-0 a few months back on the astro were very aggressive, it was a similar tactic but I thought we played through it well. It gave us so many opportunities on goal we just didn't capitalise on it.

"We recover from this game and analyse the areas that can be better but I thought it was a good test for us today going into the game midweek.

"We will design a plan for that game. It should be an incredible evening here and we're looking forward to it. We've worked very well in the Champions League this season, we've had one game we were punished heavily in but especially at home we've been very good.

"It'll be an incredible night hopefully we can get a performance to match."

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German winger Nicolas Kuhn was back to his best at Parkhead on Saturday and was unlucky not to find himself on the scoresheet.

Celtic have proposed £5m with a further £5m in add-ons plus a buy-back option for Aston Villa striker Louie Barry but the Premier League club are not prepared to sell the 21-year-old this month. (Daily Mail), external

"If I was any more relaxed, I'd fall asleep!" Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel insists he is not giving much thought to a contract extension. (Daily Record), external

Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro, a reported signing target for Celtic, suffered a broken collarbone in yesterday's La Liga loss at Espanyol. (Footboom), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel wants to create even more history with the Glasgow club as they begin their Scottish Cup journey at home to Kilmarnock.

The 38-year-old, who won the FA Cup under Brendan Rodgers when they were both at Leicester City, understands the pride that comes with lifting trophies but also the pressure.

"I watched [last season's] final, and I watched the celebrations and I was taken aback by that," the goalkeeper said.

"It was amazing to watch, and definitely those kind of things are what you play football for.

"You want to play lots of matches, you want to get to those kind of opportunities where you have a chance to write yourself in history books and be a part of moments like that.

"When you think of Celtic, you think of Celtic lifting cups and trophies, and that's part of the history, that's part of the heritage, that's part of the pressure of being a Celtic player now.

"You have to live up to that, and that's a really exciting challenge, that's a great challenge, that's something that we all have to love, that pressure, and the history that dictates the pressure.

"So you can never take anything for granted at all, and we're certainly not going to do that."

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Brendan Rodgers admits Celtic "hit a wall" after a gruelling fixture schedule but is confident his side can break through against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

The 3-3 midweek draw at Dundee was Celtic's seventh match in 20 days and while they are 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership, recent performances have prompted some criticism from some fans.

Before Celtic begin their Scottish Cup defence at home to Kilmarnock, Rodgers said: "We have to accept critics.

"But if I look at the bigger picture of what the players are coming off, I think it's also respecting that there comes a point in a season where any team, no matter how good or bad a season you're having, you'll hit a little bit of a wall.

"It's natural, it doesn't matter how good you've been playing or not, you're going to hit a little wall and I felt that probably on Tuesday, on that seventh game in 20 days, was maybe that point.

"When you draw a game or lose a game, it'll sting but for us, but it's all part of being at a big club. You have to accept it, whether you agree with it or not."

Celtic were 2-0 winners at Rugby Park in November and Rodgers added: "It was a really tough game against them last time out where they played very well.

"It's a totally different game coming back to our place. Obviously, we played earlier on in the season as well at home and played well and had a good scoreline [4-0 win], but it's a cup game. So, we have to be ready to play against them."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to host Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup.

Here are the main points:

• Rodgers says Alex Valle is "no rush to leave" amid speculation around his future in Glasgow but adds he will be "open and honest" with the on-loan Barcelona left-back if the situation changes and he is not getting game-time.

• The manager says work has been going on behind the scenes for a number of months as he looks to get new faces in and he's "confident" of adding "freshness and competition" before the window closes.

• Daizen Maeda is available after injury and will be ready from the start if needed, but James Forrest remains sidelined with a longer-term lay-off.

• On being Scottish Cup holders, Rodgers insists "we're not defending it, we have to win it," as Celtic chase a domestic treble.

• The Celtic boss says his players have "done really well" with managing the hectic schedule and is grateful for the rest following Saturday's cup game before the Champions League visit of Young Boys on Wednesday.

• On criticism his players have received for recent performances, Rodgers says no matter how well a team are playing, "you'll always hit a wall" and suggested Tuesday's draw with Dundee was evidence of that.

• The Northern Irishman says Kilmarnock "will do everything they can" to get a result on Saturday but insists his side will be up to the challenge.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Monday's Dundee derby grabbed the headlines when the Scottish Cup fourth-round draw was made, but there are two other all-Premiership ties before the city rivals do battle for the final spot in the last 16, including holders Celtic hosting Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers' side will be hot favourites given the runaway league leaders have not lost in 28 home games - 16 of them this season.

If ninth-placed Kilmarnock are to emulate Hearts' win at Celtic Park in December 2023, they will have to do what they have failed to do in their latest three meetings - all defeats with the loss of 11 goals - and that is score one of their own.

They did draw 1-1 at Celtic Park in the game before that - and won 2-1 at Rugby Park immediately before that too - so Derek McInnes' side know it is possible despite the odds but will have to turn around form that has led to one win and three blank sheets in their latest four outings.

Read Scottish Cup preview in full.

Barcelona have given their approval for left-back Alex Valle to join Como on loan should the 20-year-old be recalled from Celtic in the event of the Scottish champions reaching an agreement with Arsenal for Kieran Tierney. (Marca), external

Celtic are showing an interest in 26-year-old out-of-favour Lille striker Mohamed Bayo along with Angers, Royal Antwerp, Las Palmas, Como, Montpellier and Metz. (Foot Mercato), external

Los Angeles midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, the 23-year-old Pole who was strongly linked with Celtic last summer, is set to seal a £8m transfer to Mexican club Cruz Azul. (The Herald), external

Celtic have added 80-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur manager David Pleat to their English scouting set up. (The Herald), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Luke McCowan is determined to make his mark on the Scottish Cup after being ineligible for Celtic's League Cup success this season.

The 27-year-old, who had played in the competition for Dundee earlier in this term, was cup tied as Brendan Rodgers' side claimed the first domestic honour of the campaign in a dramatic win over rivals Rangers.

The midfielder is therefore still waiting for the first winner's medal of his Celtic career and is eager to take another step towards that target when the holders host Kilmarnock in the fourth round on Saturday.

"I don't need to worry about being cup tied or anything," he said. "It's a positive, I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll feature in it and get to play minutes.

"It makes you hungry to do well in the other cup because I didn't get to play in the last one.

"Again, you just need to go and make sure that your reaction is good [after the 3-3 draw with Dundee]. That'll be a whole team, as a collective, to do that."

McCowan marked his return to Dens Park by heading Celtic's opener in the 3-3 draw on Tuesday night and reacted with a muted celebration.

"I was never going to celebrate if I was going to score," he said.

"You don't think that during the game, it just kind of comes to you as it happens.

"I was at Dundee for four years so I was never going to run away in the corner and celebrate. I wanted to be respectful in that way because they were good to me."

Rennes are very interested in Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi and discussions have been ongoing for some time between the parties over the 29-year-old Japan international. (Ouest-France), external

Reported interest from Rennes in Kyogo Furuhashi opens up the intriguing possibility of a player-plus-cash deal involving Jota, with the former Celtic winger out of favour with the French club. (Daily Record), external

With a deal on for Scotland defender Kieran Tierney to return to Celtic from Arsenal, negotiations have also started between Como and Barcelona over left-back Alex Valle, who could have his loan to the Scottish champions from Barcelona cut short, with the 20-year-old heading Italy. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Out-of-favour Celtic winger Luis Palma's transfer to Rayo Vallecano could be back on after the Spanish club had a transfer ban imposed for an unpaid bill lifted. (Scottish Sun), external

Aston Villa are in talks with in-demand Louie Barry and want to tie down the 21-year-old to a new contract as multiple Championship and Scottish Premiership clubs, including Celtic, have registered their interest in signing the forward on loan. (Football Insider), external

Celtic are interested in 22-year-old Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro. (El Norted de Castilla), external

While Celtic are weighing up an offer for Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro, Ajax have made the £8.5m-rated 22-year-old a priority signing but have yet to meet the Spanish club's asking price. (Daily Mail), external

Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United are both keen on signing 18-year-old striker Daniel Cummings, who is out of contract this summer, but Celtic are pushing for him to stay and sign new deal. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked for your views on Celtic's dramatic 3-3 draw with Dundee. Here's what some of you said...

Patrick: Dundee deserved the points, we were totally outplayed. When the Celtic subs came on I thought that would be the turning point, but no, we still couldn't cope. Adam Idah looks too desperate and can't cope with the pressure of his price tag. Great game, just not so great for Celtic.

Peter: We were somewhat lucky to get a point but it is a point closer to title so that is good. However, central defence was very shaky. As for the centre of attack - what more can be said? We need a centre forward that can put the ball in the net. Time to give young Johnny Kenny a run of games. Idah will never get enough goals. His stats prove that.

Gerry: A poor team performance in midfield and defence, creating mistakes and encouraging an excellent Dundee team to almost win on the night. Lack of conversion by Idah and Paulo Bernado almost cost a loss. Yang Hyun-jun worked hard but couldn't deliver final pass, Auston Trusty had stinker. Thank goodness the league is already won. Only Kyogo Furuhashi played well.

Pablo: Too predictable, side to side with no 'plan B'. Teams now get right in our faces and we can't seem to cope with it. Dundee simply wanted it more and fair play to them.

Paul: Dundee should've won this match, they were by far the better team. A noticeable seismic shift in complacency has slowly crept into this Celtic team recently, leaking too many goals, exemplified by Austin Trusty's defensive errors handing Dundee the initiative. Idah's form has also been alarmingly poor, compared to his heroics from last season.

Ted: Seriously? Idah and Luis Palma should be nowhere near the first team. But well done Dundee, I thought you were brilliant. Tony Docherty deserves a medal. His tactics were spot on - isolate Callum McGregor and Bernardo and run down the two centre-halves.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

He's not had to do it before now in a season of successes so far, but you sense the Celtic manager feels it's time some of his players got a little kick up the backside.

When Brendan Rodgers says his side failed to the do the "basics" at Dens Park and were too "soft", there's method to the criticism.

After an incredibly consistent series of away performances in the Premiership during which not a single point was dropped until just before Christmas, things have done distinctly off the boil.

It's hardly crisis time, but by Celtic's very high standards this season, there's been a bit of a drop-off in level.

Just the one win in their last four league games away from home; two draws in Dundee and, of course, the humbling at the home of Rangers.

That was the last match Liam Scales started. I wonder if the Republic of Ireland centre-back is about to regain his place in the starting 11.

He's been one of the stand-out performers since Rodgers returned to Glasgow's East End, prompting the manager memorably to say few players have surprised and impressed him more in his whole managerial career.

Celtic splashed out around £6m for Auston Trusty, so it's only natural they'd try to get him in the side. No-one is going to oust Cameron Carter-Vickers from the team, rightly so given his steadying influence.

So it was Scales who had to make way for the other towering American. Trusty has failed fully to convince, however, and it was he who bore the brunt of his boss' ire for the concession of the Dundee's third goal.

He was also substituted at half-time in the League Cup final, so poor were Celtic with the ball in that first 45. Scales came on and the side's distribution was instantly better and quicker.

If Celtic (and by direct implication, Trusty) were too soft on Tayside, they'll need to harden up quickly for the visit of Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

Derek McInnes' side is physical and very well-organised. Slip-ups at home have been few and far between on the domestic front for Celtic, but you only get one shot in the cup, so normal service will have to be resumed sharp-ish if Rodgers wants to preserve the chance to go for (yet) another treble.

It's hard for any athlete to maintain full intensity when their race is all but run.

Celtic's lead at the top of the table - whether 16, 15 or 13 points once the midweek business is done - means they know they're pretty much uncatchable.

They're two-thirds of the way towards their ultimate domestic dream. There's no margin for error in the knock-out competitions, though, so if the basics are not being done by certain players, there are others on the bench to whom the manager is likely to turn.

Trusty is not alone in having to worry about his starting place. Adam Idah, while still contributing to the team, needs a goal or two and quickly.

Reo Hatate can either dazzle or disappear. Seemingly in equal measure. Captain Callum McGregor is asked to shoulder a lot of responsibility: too much, at times? Could others share the load better?

Celtic spent about £26m on Arnie Engels, Idah and Trusty in the last transfer window. While that may at one point turn into good value for money, that point is far from being reached.

The manager is likely to recruit one or two more new additions soon, given he'll have to navigate Champions League qualifying in the summer. It's hugely beneficial to bed players in rather than sign them in July and hope they're OK to pitch straight in.

If he's having to tell a few home truths to some of his squad at the moment, there'll be an even more ominous message for some of them round the corner if the desired reinforcements do indeed arrive in the next week or two.

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Celtic have been linked with a move for highly rated Aston Villa forward Louie Barry in the January transfer window. (The Scotsman)

Another of Celtic's transfer targets, Manchester City playmaker James McAtee, looks to be edging closer to a January loan move to German club Mainz. (TalkSport)

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers expects to find out the progress of his January transfer targets this week. (The Herald)

Celtic and Rangers have held talks with the Women's Super League in England about leaving the Scottish Women's Premier League. (The Times)

Neil Lennon says Adam Idah, who has gone 12 games without a goal, "has got to do better" after Celtic's £9m was substituted after an hour against Dundee. (Daily Record)

Aaron Donnelly has been criticised for his muted celebration after his goal for Dundee against Celtic. (Daily Record)

Celtic boss Rodgers lamented his team for turning "a bit soft" in their dramatic draw against Dundee - with Auston Trusty the main target of his frustration. (The Scotsman)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.