Celtic

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Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has signed a new contract to stay with Celtic until 2026.

The Denmark international, 38, joined the club as Joe Hart's replacement before the start of the current season and agreed a one-year deal.

Formerly of Manchester City, Nice and Anderlecht, Schmeichel added to the Premier League and FA Cup medals he won with Leicester City by saving a crucial penalty in Celtic's Premier Sports Cup final shootout win over Rangers in December.

Schmeichel has kept 20 clean sheets in 34 appearances so far this season and has been capped 111 times at senior level.

Celtic host Young Boys in Wednesday's Champions League tie (20:00 GMT) before Dundee visit the Scottish Premiership leaders on Saturday (15:00).

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BBC Sport's chief sportswriter Tom English says Wednesday night's game against Young Boys is a "glorious opportunity" for Celtic to progress to the Champions League play-off round.

A victory at Parkhead would move Brendan Rodgers' side on to 12 points and all but secure their place in the top 24.

Young Boys are bottom of the 36-team table and have suffered six defeats out of six.

"They're the weakest of all the teams in the Champions League," English told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They've had their worst domestic start of a season in 100 years. They're conceding goals left, right and centre. This is it.

"This is a glorious opportunity. You couldn't have hand-picked a better fixture for Celtic to get the job done and get into the play-offs.

"So the draw and the flow of the games has worked to Celtic's advantage for sure. But they've had to amass this points total to give themselves a shot at getting through against the weakest team.

"I'd be staggered if they don't do it. I know Celtic haven't been great of late, but I think they're going to win this game comfortably."

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Celtic winger Luis Palma, 25, is being chased by Sunderland, Stoke City, Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers as well as several European clubs. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Celtic have been handed a boost in their quest to bring 27-year-old Scotland defender Kieran Tierney back to the club with the emergence of talented teenage Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly opening the door further for a January exit from London. (Record), external

However, Celtic are unlikely to reach Aston Villa's asking price for Louie Barry after reportedly having a £10m bid rejected for the 21-year-old forward. (Football Insider), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Loris Benito received contrasting impressions of Celtic Park from two former Glasgow-based team-mates, but both told the Young Boys defender "the atmosphere is going to be incredible" on Wednesday.

Right-back Saidy Janko played for Celtic in the 2015-16 season after joining from Manchester United, while striker Cedric Itten was a title winner with Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign.

Top scorer Itten is a certain starter for the Champions League game, but Janko has been sidelined with a thigh injury since July.

"I did speak to them," defender Benito said. "I got very different answers, because one played for Rangers and the other one for Celtic.

"But what they were able to tell me is that the atmosphere is going to be incredible."

However, Benito pointed out that "it's going to be first" for Itten as well as he played at Celtic Park during the Covid pandemic.

"The first question I asked Cedric was how is the atmosphere and he said the only downside was that there were no fans in the stadium," he said.

"I think it's been a couple of years that Saidy has been here, so the team has changed quite a lot in those past."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Brendan Rodgers says qualifying for the knockout stage of the Champions League would be a big step for the club and "very special" for him.

A win over Swiss champions Young Boys would almost certainly be enough to see his team through to the play-off round.

Celtic haven't reached those lofty heights since 2013 when Neil Lennon was in charge.

Despite all his achievements in his first stint as manager, Rodgers didn't manage to emulate his fellow Northern Irishman.

"I mentioned when I came back that we would like to make genuine progress at this level," he said.

"I never promised anything. I just promised we would do our very best and look to see if we could progress because it's been such a long time.

"There have been some good performances without the results. The managers before me have done great jobs here. What we wanted to do was to be able to make that next step and I feel we're in a great position to do that."

Rodgers says Celtic's final home game in the league phase of the competitions has the feel of a cup final.

"We've been able to get ourselves into a really good position with nine points and our home form at the level has been really good," he added.

"We have the opportunity now to take a big step to get to the play-off."

Celtic's opponents are placed 36th of 36 teams in the Champions League and have yet to earn a point, but Rodgers refuses to write them off.

"I know there's been lots of noise around the record and where they're at, but they're a team that won the Swiss League last season by 12 points," he said.

"Obviously, it hasn't gone so well for them this season and they're on their third manager now. The games we've watched, they are what you'd expect a team of this level to have, athletic ability and quality.

"But, really, the focus has to be very much on ourselves, so we will respect the opponent. But we want to really press and continue to attack the game"

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media before Celtic's Champions League game with Young Boys on Wednesday night.

Here are the key lines from the Celtic boss:

• Rodgers says Celtic are in a "great position" to reach the knockout stages for the first time in over a decade - a win on Wednesday would secure a play-off spot - and achieving that feat would be "very special".

• The team's reaction to the 7-1 defeat in Dortmund earlier in the campaign shows they have "matured", with Rodgers adding: ''They're definitely evolving and that's what you want to be able to see."

• The Celtic boss isn't listening to the "noise" around Young Boys' poor record in the Champions League this season. The Swiss side are bottom on zero points, but Rodgers says: ''The games we've watched, they are what you'd expect a team of this level to have, athletic ability and quality."

• Rodgers says it'll be up to his players to calm any nerves among supporters by playing with the "speed and quality we've shown at this level, especially at home".

• The game has the feel of a cup tie for Celtic, according to Rodgers, who stresses his players "understand the magnitude" but must "play the game and not the occasion".

• He wants to replicate the magic of historic European nights at Celtic Park, saying it is "what the culture and the history of this club has been set on".

• Apart from winger James Forrest, everyone is fit.

Tino
Fan writer

"We have to remember it's the elite level of club football. Some people will look at some teams and think that's easy, and that's not the way football works."

The words of Brendan Rodgers in the immediate aftermath of this season's Champions League draw.

Wise words at the time, and words which provide a timely reminder that we won't have it all our own way on Wednesday night at Celtic Park.

The draw pitted Celtic with some big hitters, including current Europa League holders Atalanta and Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, but also with some lesser European lights such as Slovan Bratislava and next opponents, Young Boys.

As the manager rightly pointed out, nothing is easy at this level and that very much applies to our clash with the Swiss champions.

Celtic head into this one as strong favourites – and for good reason – but as much as we're all hoping for (and expecting?) a vital win, there can be no complacency from Rodgers and his men.

On paper, Celtic should fancy their chances against a side sitting rock bottom of the 36-team table with a grand total of zero points and a goal difference of minus 19.

Domestically they're faring no better and currently occupy ninth place in the Swiss Super League, just above such luminaries as Yverdon and Winterthur.

But to underestimate a side who have lifted six of the last seven titles in Switzerland would be a foolish move.

A new manager, the experienced Giorgio Contini, has been put in place and his first target will be to restore some pride among his squad.

Of course their European ambitions will end at the conclusion of matchday eight – but a team with nothing to lose can be a very dangerous proposition.

The challenge under the Celtic Park floodlights will be for Rodgers' side to take care of the job at hand and they'll do so IF they bring their A-game.

The European form that has taken them to nine points and the cusp of progression. The form that's seen them concede just twice in four Champions League games since that chastening defeat by Dortmund in October.

And the form that's led fans to believe that maybe – just maybe – we could be on the verge of genuine progression on the continent for the first time in over a decade.

As the manager says it certainly won't be easy, but let there be no doubt, this one is absolutely there for the taking. Over to you Celtic!

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Arne Engels says Celtic "belong" in the Champions League knockout stages as they look to secure a play-off spot with victory over Young Boys on Wednesday night.

Celtic have not played knockout football in the Champions League since 2012-13 when they lost to Italian giants Juventus in the last 16.

But a home victory over the pointless Swiss side would ensure a place in the play-off round and maintain hopes of an automatic place in the last 16, with a trip to Villa Park still to come in the final game.

"We are really ready as a squad and we also feel that we have qualities to make the difference," said Belgium midfielder Engels.

"We feel also, in big games against good teams, that we can do really well and that we can perform.

"So of course, as a team, we all feel that we belong to the knockouts and we will do everything to go there.

"But we will see after the game. It is now just focusing on the game and the job that we need to do and after Aston Villa, we can hopefully talk about it.

"I don't want to talk about what if or what would be. We still need to achieve it and it's a big game for us coming up Wednesday and a big opportunity."

Engels scored his first Champions League goal when Celtic opened their European campaign with a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in September and the club record signing is expecting another "crazy" Celtic Park atmosphere when Young Boys visit.

He said: "It was unbelievable for me personally. It was the first time that I played in the Champions League.

"So experiencing that in Celtic Park and getting a really big win there was unbelievable for me, and also, I think for the team, that gave us a real boost that we can really achieve something this year with the squad that we have, with the qualities that we have. It was a really nice night.

"The supporters will be there again and we will be there, so it will be a really crazy night, hopefully."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery dismisses suggestions his side may take their foot off the gas when they take on Celtic in next week's Champions League match, with the English club well placed to progress before this week's games. (Record), external

Midfielder Aiden Haddow, 19, has joined Hearts from Celtic. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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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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