Celtic

Ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan says the biggest positive his former side can take from their stellar start to the season is "how quickly they are learning from setbacks".

After an opening Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava, a 7-1 humiliation at Borussia Dortmund threatened to derail their European campaign.

But Brendan Rodgers' side responded with a gutsy draw away to Atalanta and Tuesday's comeback victory over RB Leipzig.

"Rodgers said they would learn," Allan said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "They go away to Atalanta, they put in a different type of performance.

"They were still brave on the ball and there were tweaks to how Celtic pressed Atalanta, but they came away with a valuable point.

"Then you take the RB Leipzig game, it was immense. You could go through so many players, Nicolas Kuhn, Callum McGregor, but the biggest thing for me is how quickly they're learning from the setbacks."

Allan hailed former team-mate McGregor's influence in the Celtic midfield on Tuesday, but German winger Kuhn was the standout at Parkhead.

After a difficult start to life in Glasgow, Kuhn continued his fine start to the season by netting a double against Leipzig before playing a key role in Reo Hatate's second-half goal.

On the forward's rapid rise at Celtic, Allan added: "When he first came in he was maybe a victim of the success of other players who have come in and hit the ground running - Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Jota.

"Sometimes in this city people can be really impatient with players if they don't get off to a flyer, but he had a good pre-season and those goal contributions... it really is incredible stuff from Kuhn."

After Tuesday's comeback Champions League win over RB Leipzig, Paul John Dykes of A Celtic State of Mind says Parkhead is "turning back into a fortress" in Europe.

Click here to listen to more reaction on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

Barcelona are working on cancelling Alex Valle's loan with Celtic in January, although that would mean paying compensation, as they think the 19-year-old has impressed enough with the Scottish champions to suggest he could provide a solution to their troubles at left-back. (El Nacional), external

Reports in South America have indicated Alexandro Bernabei, who has helped Internacional to fifth place in the Brazilian top flight on loan from Celtic, could be in line for a first call-up by Argentina amid suggestions that the Scottish champions were asking for a fee of £8m to make the move permanent in January (Daily Record), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Following their six-goal League Cup thrashing of Aberdeen on Saturday, and a hard-fought point away to Atalanta in the previous matchday, hopes were high for this game despite Leipzig's status as top seeds.

Celtic lived up to expectations with a blistering start, but Leipzig – who are still searching for their first point in the competition – punctured their positivity with Christoph Baumgartner’s neat nod from a corner.

Celtic had lost in 27 of the 28 previous Champions League games in which they had gone behind, but they picked themselves up here.

Continuing his exceptional start to the season – 17 goal contributions in 15 games before this – Kuhn cut in from the right and curled an audacious strike in off a post.

The stadium was still bouncing when German winger Kuhn stroked in from just outside the six-yard box after Daizen Maeda’s fresh air swipe allowed Greg Taylor's cut back to reach him just before the break.

Brendan Rodgers’ side maintained their high levels after the break and were rewarded when the brilliant Reo Hatate lashed in a third and ensured Celtic's second victory of this campaign.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We had the combination of the vibrancy and excitement in attack from the Bratislava game and then the real tactical discipline in our defending from Atalanta.

"And we really pulled that together to produce an outstanding team performance against a really, really good sides.

"I tip my hat to the players.

"Nicolas Kuhn's second goal really pleased me because you need to play with real courage to press against a side who have so much speed.

"We really stayed on it, win the ball back high up the pitch, Reo [Hatate] produces a great piece of skill, then we get a cross into the box, get those wingers coming in, it was a really nice way to finish the half.

"Some of our football second half was outstanding. Controlling and managing the game really well, our win was really deserved.

"It gives us real, nice confidence. We've discovered in the last two games we can be really competitive.

"If you told us after the Dortmund game we'd have four points from the next two games, I don't think too many people would have said we would have done that.

"It's a great next step and gives us great encouragement to go and make the play-off stage, but there is still so much to do.

"The supporters were great with how they stayed with the team, they trusted what they were seeing.

"We have to build step by step to make this a difficult place to be. RB Leipzig are a top side, they will say that was a real difficult game for them tonight.

"We have to stay humble in our work, we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We played so well tonight, we sit in a really good place, we now just focus on our next game and see where it takes us."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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When Celtic last met a German side in the Champions League on the back of a 6-0 domestic win, they were dismantled in Dortmund earlier in this campaign.

Though that was only just over a month ago, the Scottish champions appear to have taken their medicine and were much more streetwise in familiar surroundings.

Sprinting out the blocks, they did not allow their visitors to breathe at the back and swarmed in their numbers at every opportunity.

Key to that was Kuhn. The RB Leipzig academy product taught the German side a lesson with a sensational display. Playing with freedom and flair, the 24-year-old was, once again, tremendous on the right.

In truth, Celtic as a team taught Leipzig - a side sitting second in the Bundesliga - a lesson. They repeatedly asked questions and their visitors had no answers.

When Kuhn did depart to a rapturous round of applause, Hatate took over as the talisman of this tremendous side.

It’s been a long, long wait for three home wins in a row for Celtic in this competition. A 17-year wait. Through that spell, the tales of the fortress this cauldron used to be seemed a distant memory.

This brought them back to light. The Feyenoord win last season was a dead rubber; the Slovan Bratislava victory earlier this term was expected; but this was a statement. And a convincing one at that.

His outstanding season continues to climb to new heights.

He was the star of a special show this evening as Celtic tore RB Leipzig apart.

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So, the one change for Celtic following Saturday's six-goal show at Hampden is at left-back.

Greg Taylor replaces Barcelona loanee Alex Valle.

Auston Trusty also keeps his place in the centre of defence with Cameron Carter-Vickers.

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

RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Geertruida, Orban, Bitshiabu, Henrichs, Nusa, Haidara, Kampl, Baumgartner, Sesko, Openda.

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Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Former Celtic captain and Champions League winner Paul Lambert says tonight's match with RB Leipzig is "a game Celtic can definitely win" to help them put "one foot in the door" of the Champions League knockout phase.

Lambert - who won the competition with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 - bases some of his optimism on the weekend win by his old side over Leipzig at the Westfalenstadion.

"I watched [Leipzig] on Saturday against Dortmund, and Dortmund should have won by more, if the truth be told," Lambert said. "Dortmund were miles better than Leipzig. I think they've got one or two problems with some key players out injured but they're still a decent side.

"On the counter-attack they're pretty quick. [Lois] Openda's a good player, [Benjamin] Sesko's a good player, so they've got players who can hurt you but it's a home game for Celtic and a game Celtic can definitely win if they play the way they can."

"It doesn't matter who comes to Celtic Park, it's always a tough game for the opposition because of the crowd. The lads at Celtic seem to be playing pretty well at the minute. When you're at home at Parkhead, it really works in their favour."

Lambert is impressed with the way Celtic have started this new Champions League format, gathering four points from their first three matches. The recent draw in Bergamo standing out in particular for the former Scotland star.

"It was a great point against Atalanta. I know they had some great chances and missed a few and Celtic defended strongly. That's a big point for them and they'll take a lot of confidence from that. Celtic in this moment are in a really good place."

Lambert's also well aware of the potential significance of another home win for Celtic, having already seen off Slovan Bratislava on matchday one. Should RB Leipzig also be defeated, seven points would put Brendan Rodgers' men, in all likelihood, just one more win away from the knock-out stages.

"That's what Brendan will be stressing. To win any game of football, you've got to be strong defensively. That's a must. Everything's built on that cornerstone - being strong defensively and disciplined.

"Play the game and not the occasion, that's the key for Celtic. Don't get caught up in the atmosphere, play your own game and be defensively strong to give yourself a foothold in the game. If they win, they've virtually one foot in the door of qualification."

Former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill on dealing with Bobo Balde after his handball against Lyon, and European nights at Celtic Park.

Listen to the full episode of the Scottish Football Podcast.

Tino
Fan writer

Hear me out, but Celtic’s 7-1 hammering at the hands of Borussia Dortmund just over a month ago might just be the best thing to have happened in terms of our chances of progressing in this season's Champions League.

Think of it this way - had we lost by the odd goal or two in Germany, would the backlash have been anywhere near as intense as it was? Would the players have felt the sting had the result only been 2-0, for example?

And crucially, would Brendan Rodgers have made the changes he went on to make for the subsequent draw with Atalanta, had he not experienced that punishing defeat from Nuri Sahin's side?

I'd argue that a firm 'no' is the answer to all of the above.

Make no mistake, despite only collecting one point on the night, that draw with a seriously talented Atalanta has breathed new life into this campaign.

In the aftermath of the Dortmund result, Rodgers maintained that he was an attacking coach - always had been and always will be - and that he wouldn't bend on those principles.

Despite calls to park the bus, he would go on to name a side in the same 4-3-3 formation that he's always played since returning to Glasgow.

He did however make some notable tweaks.

In came Alex Valle and Reo Hatate for Greg Taylor and Paolo Bernardo, and, perhaps most significantly, Adam Idah was preferred to Kyogo Furuhashi up top.

The key on the night, however, was discipline.

Gone was the high press which led to Dortmund finding so much space on matchday three; in came a more streetwise and controlled aggression from the start.

Yes, we rode our luck at times, but there was no doubt that the lessons of Dortmund had been learned and, more importantly, that they were applied in Bergamo.

At Celtic Park on Tuesday, Rodgers and this talented group have the chance to take their next steps forward as a team and show that they continue to learn in the cut-throat environment of the Champions League.

If they do so then maybe, just maybe, they could take a massive leap closer towards qualifying for the knockout stages.

• Tino can be found at the Celtic Exchange., external

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Celtic midfielder Arne Engels says the chance to prove themselves against German opposition isn't something he or his teammates are focusing on before their Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

Engels became Celtic's record signing when he arrived in Glasgow from Augsburg last summer.

The 21-year-old was part of the Celtic side beaten 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund on his return to Germany last month, but insists he is not dwelling on that result before Celtic welcome Leipzig to Celtic Park.

"Not really, we want to win every game," Engels said. "That’s always our mindset and that’s always the mindset of Celtic also.

"We are playing at home, so of course we want to put in a good performance and I think we will. It's not really a revenge or something about the Bundesliga team at all.

"We just need to look at ourselves and be prepared and I think we will be."

Celtic recovered from their heavy defeat by Dortmund to earn a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta in their last Champions League outing, and Engels says that performance showed they can be defensively solid at the highest level.

"We are pretty confident," Engels said. "We showed that we can really defend and can play against really good teams. You see Atalanta now in Serie A playing really amazing football and beating Napoli in the weekend.

"That shows confidence for us that we can do that against really good teams."

Several English Premier League clubs have already inquired about Nicolas Kuhn after his excellent performances for Celtic this season, with the German winger valued at over €10m. (Florian Plettenberg on X), external

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.

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• Tuesday will be the fifth meeting of Celtic and RB Leipzig, with the Scots winning once and the German outfit triumphing three times.

• Celtic's last win over German opposition was a 2-1 home victory against Leipzig during the group stage of the Europa League in 2018.

• Leipzig are winless in their past five Uefa competition matches, including four losses and one draw.

• The Bundesliga side last won away from home against foreign opposition against Young Boys in Switzerland in last season's Champions League group opener.

• Top scorer Daizen Maeda is bidding to become the first Celtic player to score three times in a Champions League group or league phase since Moussa Dembele in 2016.

• Leipzig are bidding to be the first away winner at Celtic Park in any competition since Hearts in December, 2023.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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"The boys are very aware of it, you can feel it in the dressing room."

RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose says his side are incredibly aware their current tally in the Champions League (zero points) is nowhere near where it needs to be and they must soon start picking up points.

The German side have had three tough games to kick-start the new format of the competition against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Juventus and have suffered three defeats.

"We know what we have until now is not enough and we need to start getting points some day," Rose said.

"Of course it’s a very important match. Matchday one was like that, match day five and six will be like that.

"We are not talking too much about the points. Everyone is aware of the situation, the boys are very aware of it, you can feel it in the dressing room."

Rose has enjoyed success at Celtic Park and his going for his hat-trick of wins in Glasgow's East End.

"The fans mean you need to be ready if you want to win here," he said. "It will be a great atmosphere and we have to use it because we like to play in these kinds of stadiums.

"We will have to defend all they give us to defend as well. But I'm sure we'll get our chances in possession and transition and when we do we have to take these chances.

"I always like coming here, I like the history of the club, I appreciate fan culture a lot.

"I remember my first match here with Salzburg in the Europa League very well, we played very well and the supporters accepted and honoured the result. I actually had some contact with a few supporters, they offered me a scarf. This creates a connection, and I also like their manager."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Brendan Rodgers insists "every Champions League game is like a cup final" for Celtic as they prepare for their fourth match of the campaign against RB Leipzig.

The Scottish champions have four points from their first three games, while Tuesday's opponents are yet to get off the mark, but Rodgers says his side are "desperate for more points".

"Every game for us at this level is a cup final," he said. "I mentioned that right at the beginning of this competition to our players – we have eight finals to see if we can get into that play-off stage.

"They've had tough games, they'll obviously be disappointed with the Juve game where they were at home and they lost a man and lost the game. Of course, you come into this fourth game then they'll be obviously desperate to get points on the board.

"But thankfully we are too and that should mean for a really, really fantastic game."

Celtic picked up one of those points with a defensively robust display in Bergamo. A much changed approach from the one deployed in the Dortmund dismantling.

Rodgers said he's enjoying learning about his side.

"I think RB Leipzig will be no different to Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund," he said. "A top team right towards the top of their league, they have everything that you would want in a top European side – speed, strength, power and technique.

"We really look to bring our energy to the game but also know that we'll have to defend for a good period of the game as well and defend with the concentration and commitment that we did in Atalanta.

"It's the highest level of European football, so we're playing against a lot of teams that are superior to us and from superior leagues.

"So that's a challenge in itself and is absolutely great. Trying to find ways to gain the results that can bring you to your end point.

"It's an amazing competition to be involved in. You have some games where you have to take your medicine, but I'm pretty sure it's all learning and it's no different to probably yourselves.

"I'm pretty sure you don't write your scripts first up all the time. I'm sure you draw your line through some pieces of paper and whatever else and we're exactly the same, where we learn, we hope to be better, improve."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is "excited" about facing RB Leipzig in Tuesday's Champions League match in Glasgow.