Celtic

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Celtic's encouraging start in the Champions League shows they have "grown and matured" in the competition, says centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers.

In their past two European campaigns, the Glasgow side have been eliminated after finishing bottom of their group on both occasions.

But the Scottish champions have accumulated seven points from four games in the revamped league phase and they will be hoping to take that tally to 10 when they welcome Club Brugge on Wednesday.

The United States defender says the squad's target was "around" the 10-point mark and as a team they feel "we are close to getting out of the [league] phase".

"It's us against ourselves now to see how many points we can get," he added.

"You can see how we've grown and matured in the competition. It's not just about learning from this season, it's about the last couple of seasons and it's paying off well for us."

The centre-back says the statement victory over RB Leipzig earlier this month showed people on the outside that Celtic can compete on this stage.

But the 26-year-old also acknowledges the difficulty that will come in their final four matches as they aim to book a knockout place in the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade.

"It'll be a big achievement [to progress]," he said. "Our goal has been to get to a knockout round.

"We feel pretty close to that but know there are four tough games to go."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

It speaks volumes for Celtic's European learning curve that large swathes of the support will arrive for tonight's Champions League clash with Belgian title winners Club Brugge more in expectation than hope.

Even the players are on the same page. "We’ve learned a massive amount. We’re more mature at this level now." The words of centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers.

It's hard to argue. Three home wins on the bounce, factoring in the recent victories over RB Leipzig and Slovan Bratislava with the defeat of Feyenoord last season. Seven points from the first available 12 is a handsome return for a side still to host the Belgians and Swiss champions Young Boys at Parkhead in the opening phase of this reformatted Champions League.

It means the calculators may well be out in the Celtic Park stands should Brugge be beaten and it becomes four home wins in a row.

It’s widely thought among the number crunchers and statisticians that 10 points should be enough for any team to advance to the knockout phase. Figuring out that puzzle may be a little bit easier come the full-time whistle.

The post-victory smiles would linger long on the supporters' faces, and there may even be talk of aiming higher up the new-look Champions League table. Celtic couldn't finish in the top eight and advance straight into the last 16, could they?

After tonight, Brendan Rodgers' men have to negotiate a trip to Dinamo Zagreb before Christmas and then January games against Young Boys and Aston Villa. Should they head to Croatia already in double figures, is it too much of a stretch to target 14 or 15 points?

Those targets were virtually unthinkable before a ball was kicked this season, such have been Celtic's struggles at this level in recent years.

You certainly can't argue that now. Rodgers says he’s delighted with the progress his side has made but is certain there is more to come. We're about to find out just how much more.

"Failure is part of the journey," he said, responding to how his troops have picked themselves up since the 7-1 drubbing in Dortmund. In this Champions League campaign, for the first time in years, there’s been a fair amount of success as well.

Ex-Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster will be in Tottenham's goal for the Europa League game at Rangers because of the injury to Guglielmo Vicario. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen says British football might be known for a "kick and rush" style, but that is not what he expects from Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Hayen is a fan of opposite number Brendan Rodgers' possession-based game and is expecting a difficult but exciting match at Parkhead. A win for either side would go a long way to sealing progression in the competition.

"You see that he's a coach who really wants to play football, even from the back," Hayen said of Rodgers.

"He wants to invite pressure and always tries to find the right solution. He has the players to go deep, with deep runs from their attackers in the second line. Celtic are quite complete as a team but also as individual players.

"You see Brendan's hand in it all. You could say that British football is more 'kick and rush' but here at Celtic you never see it. It's always a clean build-up from the back and that's exactly what a coach wants."

In his own pre-match press conference, Rodgers spoke about harnessing "the power of Celtic Park".

Hayen has told his side to "embrace" the frenzied Parkhead atmosphere.

"I heard from people that the expectations here are really big and that the atmosphere will be crazy and that they are waiting for us," he said.

"These are the games you want to play as a player and we just have to stay calm, embrace all these feelings and just perform on the pitch.

"I don't think it will be a really closed game. It will be open and let's hope it will be an exciting evening."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers talks to the media before his side's Champions League match against Club Brugge.

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Brendan Rodgers has warned his Celtic side not to take Club Brugge lightly on Wednesday despite their impressive recent Champions League form.

Rodgers' side bounced back from their 7-1 loss against Borussia Dortmund with a goalless draw at Atalanta and a magnificent 3-1 home win against RB Leipzig.

While Club Brugge are not ranked as highly as Celtic's last two European opponents, Rodgers expects "another big examination".

"Teams like Club Brugge are not teams that are probably spoken about a lot, maybe in the same echelons of some of these other big names," the Northern Irishman said.

"But these are teams that you cannot underestimate. They're very experienced at the level.

"They've got some fantastic players, a very good coach who's stepped up and taken them and works them very, very well. So we have to be mindful of that.

"Every game is a very, very tough game and this game will be another big examination for us."

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

Here are the key lines from the Celtic boss:

• Rodgers is urging his team to harness "the power of Celtic Park" as they look to move to the brink of the knockout stages with three games to spare.

• He says opposition players now find Parkhead an intimidating arena: "Take the RB Leipzig match for example. Some of their players afterwards spoke of the impact the stadium brings. We have to channel that, we have to be at the highest level to progress."

• A key quote was "failure is a part of the journey". The manager spoke about the "trampoline effect" of the 7-1 trouncing in Dortmund. He feels his players have responded really well - "it can bounce you back higher" - by drawing at Atalanta then beating Leipzig.

• Rodgers says Brugge will provide his team with "a big examination" as Celtic aim to take their home Champions League winning streak to four matches.

• He warns against thinking the Belgian champions are a lesser side than Atalanta or Leipzig just because they're not as heralded a name.

• Rodgers adds: "They've got really good organisation. They're very well coached, they know their roles. The frontline is fast and dynamic. Simon Mignolet [goalkeeper] is calm and experienced, they have hungry young players, these are teams you cannot underestimate. Fantastic players with a good coach."

• The Celtic boss says he's heartened by the progress he feels his side have made compared to this time last year and is further encouraged that "there’s still a lot more to come".

• Rodgers revealed he has a fully fit squad to choose from and he's excited for another big Champions League night at Celtic Park under the lights.

Tino
Fan writer

Its always a good time to be a Celtic fan but right now it feels as good as it has in quite a while.

The Bhoys are top of the pile in the Scottish Premiership following a 4-1 win at Tynecastle that sees our unbeaten domestic run extended.

Brendan Rodgers appears as settled as ever and, unlike at the end of his first tenure, he and the board seem firmly on the same page.

Key players Alastair Johnston and James Forrest have just signed new deals. Nicolas Kuhn is absolutely flying, as is Reo Hatate.

And this week we head into a Champions League clash with Club Brugge where a win will all but guarantee a place in the last 24.

What's not to enjoy?

Last week's AGM saw some curious questions from the assembled shareholders – a section of the meeting that seems to get more bizarre with each passing year – but in truth it's as easy a ride as the board have had for some time.

And - as is generally the case in football - there’s a key reason for this. The team are winning. And they're doing it with some style.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s always improvements that can be made. Celtic could be managing away ticket allocations better, it would be nice to see more academy players make the breakthrough, and access to and from the stadium remains an issue.

But, by and large, it's the performances of the team on the park that's the main agenda item for most, and on that score we could barely be in a better place.

Should Rodgers steer us through to the Champions League knockout stages this week we'll find ourselves in as good a place as we have in years.

And despite his multiple successes at Celtic Park first time around we could be headed for our best season yet under Brendan. Roll on Wednesday night!

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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• This is the first ever meeting between Celtic and Club Brugge. Celtic's eight previous meetings with Belgian opposition have been against KAA Gent (W1 L1), Germinal Ekeren (W1 D1) and Anderlecht (W2 L2).

• Celtic have won two of their four matches in this season's Champions League (D1 L1), as many as they won in their previous four campaigns combined (W2 D6 L16). They last won three games in a single season back in 2012-13.

• Club Brugge have only scored four goals in their last nine Champions League matches, but two of those goals have resulted in 1-0 wins, beating Sturm Graz on matchday two and Aston Villa on matchday four this season. Brugge's last five wins in the competition have all been to nil.

• Celtic have scored nine goals in four Champions League games this term, their joint most in a single season along with 2012-13. They last netted more in a European Cup campaign back in 1977-78 (13).

• 47% of Club Brugge's high-intensity pressures in the Champions League this season have been made in the middle third of the pitch. This is the highest percentage for any side in the tournament, highlighting the Belgian side's preference to be more aggressive in midfield areas (only 20% have come in the final third).

• Since the start of 2022-23, only Inter Milan (64%) have kept a clean sheet in a higher percentage of Champions League games than Club Brugge (58%), among teams to feature in more than one season.

• Arne Engles has three assists in his four Champions League appearances this season, the joint most by a Celtic player in a season along with Charlie Mulgrew in 2012-13 and Matt O'Riley in 2023-24. The only Belgian player with more in a season is Kevin De Bruyne (4 in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21, 6 in 2022-23).

James Forrest believes Celtic team-mate Nicolas Kuhn is close to a Germany call-up. (Herald - subscription), external

The noise the Celtic Park crowd make on Champions League nights is "guttural and animalistic", says Celtic right-back and vice-captain Alistair Johnston. (Record), external

Ardon Jashari, the midfielder who was linked with Celtic in the summer of 2023 before joining Club Bruges for £6m from Luzern, says the Belgian side must silence the home crowd in Wednesday's Champions League game in Glasgow. (Daily Record), external

Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder John McGinn is being hounded by friends and family for tickets for Celtic's Champions League visit to Villa Park later this season. (Sun), external

McGinn admits reports that a transfer to Celtic fell through before he joined Aston Villa from Hibernian in 2018 annoy him, but the 30-year-old adopts a "never say never" approach to joining his boyhood club sometime in the future. (Scottish Football Social Club), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Celtic have three players in my team of the week after their 4-1 win at Hearts on Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers delivered another big display, while Adam Idah was the perfect sub for Brendan Rodgers' side, scoring a double at Tynecastle.

Meanwhile, there was another top display from the top player in the Premiership right now. Nicolas Kuhn completed all of his dribbles, played some magnificent passes for his fellow forward players and his goal was superb. A player oozing confidence.

Watch Sportscene analysis of Celtic's 4-1 win against Hearts.

Christos Tzolis scored four of Club Bruges' goals in their 7-0 Saturday defeat of Sint-Truidense and exclaimed his side are "ready" for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Celtic Park. (Herald - subscription), external

Ayr United manager and former Celtic captain Scott Brown has spent almost £2m on a new house featuring a swimming pool. (Sun), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

Watch highlights of Hearts' 4-1 defeat against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Celtic's 4-1 win against Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Hugh: It must be a worry for our opponents that we can find a way to win even when we fail to get out of first gear. In our last two domestic games we have looked lethargic and disjointed for long spells of the games. However our quality, sparks of individual brilliance and sheer determination to win has got us over the line.

Patrick: Whether defending or attacking, you get the feeling each player knows their role. It's the same for substitutes too, the squad depth is massive for us this season and should be what gets us over the line first.

Gordy: We did start slowly but that was simply down to the international break, Hearts posed us some problems but I wouldn't say we looked worried, once we upped the tempo they couldn't live with us and if it wasn't for Craig Gordon it could have been more emphatic. Onto Europe now and hopefully at it from the off against Brugge who can be difficult to play against.

Dave: If other teams don't do damage to Celtic early in the match when they create some openings, then they have lost their chance. As soon as Celtic figure out how to beat the opposition they just swat them out of the way. The squad strength has been key to that.

Edward: Poor first half, better second half, let's hope we play as good on Wednesday.

Patrick: First half we were shocking, we played too safe, and it looked like a Kilmarnock game repeat. However, Brendan Rodgers' half time team talk did the job, and we dominated the second half. After Kyogo Furuhashi missing a few sitters, it begs the question whether or not he should be starting over Adam Idah after his brace.

Ray: Tough first half but perseverance and quality showed. Strength of squad and second goal made it comfortable and in no doubt. This is the best squad and belief for many a year. Rodgers has laser focus since his return and improvement in Champions League which is a long time coming, is now there for all to see.

Hugh: Slack first half, lack of thought and after the international break I thought we lacked composure and threat. We don't know what the manager said at the break but we soon set in to some style what we are used to. We looked comfortable and always looked as if we would score goals. In the end a fantastic result.

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• Celtic have scored seven goals via substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Aberdeen (eight) have scored more.

• Hearts have conceded six goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, no team has conceded more.

• Celtic have scored in 12 of their 12 games, no team has done so more often in the Premiership this season.

• Hearts have conceded four penalties in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

Clinical Celtic moved three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with what eventually proved a straightforward win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

After Aberdeen's first league loss of the season earlier on Saturday, Brendan Rodgers' side knew they could put daylight between themselves and the Dons for the first time this term with victory in the capital.

However, they started slowly and were fortunate to go in at half-time on level terms after Blair Spittal and Lawrence Shankland spurned golden chances to give Hearts the lead.

It was a different story after the break though and Kyogo Furuhashi's seventh goal of the season put Celtic in front at the second attempt after Craig Gordon initially saved when Daniel Oyegoke's clearance deflected into the Japanese striker's path.

A wonderful break and finish from Nicholas Kuhn doubled Celtic's advantage five minutes later and the result was never in doubt from that point onwards.

Adam Idah added a third after some tidy passing on the edge of the Hearts box despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Gordon.

Neil Critchley's side continued to show impressive industry, and were rewarded for their efforts when substitute Musa Drammeh grabbed a late consolation, beating Kasper Schmeichel from long range with a powerful drive.

Idah then made it four from the penalty spot in time added on after James Forrest was tripped by Jorge Grant, to cap an excellent second-half showing from his side.

Celtic fans, were you at Tynecastle or following along from home? Either way, we want your thoughts on the game. Have your say., external

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Nicolas Kuhn continued his magnificent form at Tynecastle.

He completed all of his dribbles, played some magnificent passes for his fellow forward players and took his goal with aplomb.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Although the sides went in level at half-time, it felt almost inevitable that Celtic would turn it on after the break, such are the standards manager Brendan Rodgers has set.

Kyogo was limited to just six touches in the opening period, but his first meaningful contribution of the match was to do what he does best, slotting home the opening goal after a sharp stop from Craig Gordon.

Nicolas Kuhn continued his wonderful season with a searing left-footed finish into the top corner on an evening where he oozed confidence and class.

Rodgers rung the changes from there and his squad's strength in depth was highlighted by the way they kicked on, not least with Adam Idah's cameo.

The Irish striker has a knack for scoring goals and offers a totally different threat to Kyogo - having someone of his quality to call upon off the bench is a real luxury for Rodgers.

Celtic now take real momentum into Wednesday's Champions League match against Club Brugge, as they look to continue their positive European campaign.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: "I'm really pleased. [Tynecastle] is a really tough place. To win 4-1 was really pleasing.

"Second half, we figured out their press. They have normally been pressing in 4-4-2 but changed it slightly. It just meant we had to drop a man in our build-up play.

"We had some good moments in the first half, but once we were able to play through that pressure, I thought in the second half we were excellent.

"It's a very exciting period for us. All the players know they will play, they just need to be ready."