Celtic got a taste of their own medicine in Germany as they came crashing back down to earth with a 7-1 Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
Brendan Rodgers’ side had won their previous 17 matches and scored 33 goals this season before arriving at Signal Iduna Park in confident mood, fresh from a 6-0 win over St Johnstone on Saturday and a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their Champions League opener.
But they found the step up in class too much to handle as they were overrun by last year’s runners-up, not helped by the absence of centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and some slack passing throughout their team.
Celtic were briefly level when Daizen Maeda cancelled out Emre Can’s early penalty but Karim Adeyemi bagged a first-half hat-trick and Serhou Guirassy also scored from the spot before the interval.
Guirassy and Felix Nmecha piled on the misery in the second half as Rodgers found himself presiding over another Champions League thrashing.
What a night for Dortmund ⚫️🟡#UCL pic.twitter.com/iQH2vKdUZy
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 1, 2024
Celtic’s heaviest European defeat remains a 7-0 loss in Barcelona during Rodgers’ first spell in charge and he also suffered a 7-1 defeat against Paris St Germain and a 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.
The warning signs were evident from early on when Adeyemi had numerous options but could not find a pass or shot, and Can provided the opener in the seventh minute after Kasper Schmeichel brought down Jamie Gittens after the England Under-21 winger had burst beyond Celtic’s back four.
Celtic were level inside two minutes when Maeda bundled home Arne Engels’ cross but Dortmund regained the lead in the same timescale. Guirassy’s flick to the unmarked Julian Brandt left the Celtic back line vulnerable and Adeyemi ran on to the through ball and fired the ball high into the net off the foot of Auston Trusty.
Schmeichel made two decent stops to keep Celtic in it and the Hoops had a let-off when Pascal Gross opted to pass instead of shooting.
Maeda looked a threat at the other end and fired wide from 25 yards but he was beaten to the tackle by Adeyemi following a 29th-minute corner before the forward fizzed the ball inside Schmeichel’s near post and into the roof of the net from a difficult angle.
Celtic continued to give the ball away and the chances kept coming. Adeyemi came close from 25 yards after Paulo Bernardo’s loose pass and Schmeichel saved from Gross before another wave of goals.
This is fun pic.twitter.com/w3YEXkENQT
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 1, 2024
Engels caught Adeyemi on the foot as the pair contested a bouncing ball and Guirassy did the damage from the 40th-minute penalty. Celtic shot themselves in the foot again two minutes later when Maeda overran the ball on the edge of his box and Adeyemi supplied another lethal finish.
Rodgers made a double substitution at the interval, putting Reo Hatate on for Bernardo and Alex Valle for Greg Taylor, who had been struggling with a calf issue.
Celtic were spared more punishment from Adeyemi when the 22-year-old Germany international was forced off by an injury just after the restart.
But the pattern of the game did not change and Schmeichel made saves from 18-year-old substitute Julien Duranville and Julian Ryerson.
A poor cross from Nicolas Kuhn and a wayward shot from Hatate prevented Celtic from reducing the arrears before Guirassy turned Liam Scales one way and another before stabbing home the sixth in the 66th minute.
Full-time#DortmundCeltic | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/wNzjYbxz9T
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) October 1, 2024
The Celtic fans kept singing and their team kept trying to reward them. Hatate came closer from 22 yards and fellow sub Adam Idah could only head Valle’s cross into the arms of Gregor Kobel from close range.
The pain was not finished, though, and Nmecha drilled home the seventh in the 79th minute after the ball broke for the substitute in the box.
Schmeichel denied Duranville from a one-on-one to prevent a record European defeat and Celtic now need to regroup before taking on Atalanta in Italy in their next game in the tournament.
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Club Necaxa VS Club Leon
- 7 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 8 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 9 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 10 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer