Celtic have kicked off their season impressively, but their upcoming match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday will truly test the Scottish side's capabilities in the Champions League. Currently sitting second in the group standings behind Bayern Munich, Brendan Rodgers' team secured a convincing 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their first match, marking their first win in 13 attempts for a Champions League opener. This success has boosted the players' confidence as they prepare to face formidable opposition, particularly last season's finalists.
Maintaining their momentum, Celtic achieved a stunning 6-0 win against St. Johnstone on Saturday, ensuring they have won all their matches this season. With a total of 33 goals scored across their eight consecutive victories, the signs of a potent attack have been evident since their pre-season tour in the United States, where they defeated Manchester City 4-3 and Chelsea 4-1. Now in his second season of his second tenure, Rodgers is eager to make a significant impact in Europe with Celtic.
While the Glasgow giants have dominated domestically, clinching 12 Scottish league titles in the last 13 years, their European ambitions have faltered. Celtic has not progressed beyond the group stages of the Champions League since the 2012/13 season and has not won a knockout tie in any European competition for 20 years, aside from qualifiers.
Even before the victory against Bratislava, Rodgers expressed that he felt this was the "best prepared" he has been as a Celtic manager for the challenges of the Champions League, signaling a hopeful outlook for the season ahead.
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