2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Robbie Copeland)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info It was a night of mixed emotions for Celtic in the Champions League and the media across the world have let them hear all about it.
The Hoops were expected to put Club Brugge to the sword after a strong start to their Euro campaign but were caught off-guard by some swashbuckling football from the Belgians who thoroughly impressed for long spells. But it was a howler from Cameron Carter-Vickers that got them in front, blindly passing back to Kasper Schmeichel who was nowhere to be seen. Everyone loves a blunder when it's not their team and that moment has since gone viral.
It wasn't all bad for the Hoops. They got back into it after the half-time break and a touch of class from Daizen Maeda earned them a point in the end, and a valuable one that leaves them well-placed to finish in the top 24 and with it qualify for the knockout stages. There was plenty to unpack - here's what the world media have been saying to it in the aftermath.
A strong Club Brugge was the better team at Celtic for a long time and was helped back into the saddle by a super blunder from the opponent. But after it failed to convert its own chances, Club still swallowed the avoidable 1-1. It thus suffers another valuable loss of points.
For the slapstick moment of the match, we had to be there in the 25th minute. Cameron Carter-Vickers, an 18-time US international and Celtic’s most valuable player with a market value of 14 million euros, received the ball under pressure. He passed it backwards to keeper Kasper Schmeichel, who last season defended the goal of Club rivals Anderlecht.
Anyone who believes in football gods would think that they sided with Club. But this was also the merit of blue-black, who kept chasing Celtic until they made a mistake. De Cuyper who pressed his man, Jutgla who took over Tzolis' place to put pressure on Celtic's right back, Tzolis who made sure that Celtic could not go back to Schmeichel and had to start tapping in a small space: they were all small cogs that led to the crazy 0-1.
Club Brugge was in a good position. In case you haven't heard, we've launched a new Hotline Live show, airing at 6pm every day, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays. Join our panel for a laugh, a moan and a look at all things Scottish football, as well as having your say on the biggest issues in the game.
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Celtic had surprised RB Leipzig with aggressive pressure on the previous match day, but against Club that hardly came out. Because blue-black, every time the green shirts approached, cleverly lured them to the left. VAR ruined the party.
Brugge's response didn't seem to be long in coming. After another cross from De Cuyper - again from the busy left - Jutgla gave Club the deserved lead in the scramble. However, the VAR had seen offside.
Only then did Celtic Park, nicknamed 'Paradise', slowly start to loosen up. The hurricane was no more than a fresh breeze for 75 minutes due to a strong Club. The Belgian champion had to back up to their own sixteen and started to pile up the misunderstandings.
But the Bruges defence never really got into trouble. It made that 1-1 even more painful. 'The most absurd move of the year.
' Club Brugge faced Celtic Glasgow this Wednesday evening in the Champions League. An important match, against a direct competitor for a play-off place. The match had started well for the Bruges team, who were rewarded in the 24th minute, with an incredible gift.
Served back, Carter-Vickers was fooled when he tried to pass back to his goalkeeper. Problem: Schmeichel was elsewhere and could not intervene. The ball therefore went into the goal under the stunned gaze of all the players.
A goal that will go around the world! Club Brugge took a point on the field of Celtic. A bizarre own goal in the first half by Celtic and a class flash by Maeda decided the match. After fifteen minutes Celtic got better into the game, but without really creating chances.
Just before the half hour Club got help from Celtic. When defending, Carter-Vickers wanted to pass to goalkeeper Schmeichel, but he was not in his goal, 0-1 for Club. With that small lead, Club went into the dressing room.
After the break, more chances for blue-black, but Schmeichel kept De Cuyper from 0-2 with an excellent save. Skov Olsen also kicked a cross over. Club didn't finish it off, on the hour the goal did come on the other side.
Maeda cut Seys out behind the supporting leg and curled the ball nicely into the far corner. A class flash by the Japanese. Carter-Vickers blundered in the 26th minute when he misjudged a back pass intended for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who had drifted out of position, allowing the ball to sneak into the bottom corner.
The visitors dominated the first half with intense high-pressing that caused problems for Celtic, who were far from their best. After the break, however, the hosts looked in better shape and Maeda levelled when he curled in a superb shot from the right of the box in the 60th minute. Brendan Rodgers' side fought for a winner but ultimately settled for a draw, maintaining their unbeaten home record in all competitions this season.
The Club got off to a good start in the match. The Bruges team were not afraid of possession, multiplying the nice ball exits. Jutgla took advantage of a nice recovery high up to try his luck but did not hit the target.
Same for Skov Olsen, on another magnificent exit from the Belgian defense, who did not hit the target with his curled left foot (24th). A minute later, Bruges took advantage of a gift, like against Aston Villa, to open the score on an own goal gag by Carter-Vickers (26th). After the break, Hatate narrowly missed equalising but his cross shot went wide of Mignolet's post.
Skov Olsen also missed the 0-2 on a cross from De Cuyper but he was off target at point-blank range. Maeda then pulled a gem out of his pocket to punish Bruges. With a magnificent curl, he found the opposite (in) post and reset the score to zero.
That was without taking into account a goal from Jutgla which was ultimately disallowed for an offside position. It's still a good point for Bruges even if they could have brought back more if they had kept their level of the first half throughout the match. Bruges remains in the 24 qualified for the moment.
There were spells in this game when Club Brugge resembled a reincarnation of 1970 Brazil. As Cameron Carter-Vickers bundled home an embarrassing own goal to send the Belgians in front, it looked a matter of how many they would choose to score. The stars were in stripes.
Celtic do not often suffer in this manner on their own turf. Celtic have no cause to care that they rather snatched a point. Indeed, Brugge’s profligacy should be of no concern whatsoever to Brendan Rodgers.
This draw, earned courtesy of a glorious Daizen Maeda strike, leaves Celtic perfectly on course to reach the playoff round of the Champions League. This was an outcome which rather proved the beauty of football; Brugge’s style and swagger was ultimately matched by Celtic’s desire not to lose. Celtic continue to show they can compete when stakes are raised beyond their domestic domination.
As the minutes ticked down, it was Celtic who looked the more likely team. Given what had come before, that was a wild scenario. Cameron Carter-Vickers will have nightmares about the own goal he scored on Wednesday.
The Celtic defender gave Club Brugge the lead in the clubs' Champions League match, playing a blind back pass directly into his own net. The incident took place 26 minutes in at Celtic Park. Carter-Vickers took a pass under some pressure and before looking up, played the ball back where he thought goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel would be.
But the Danish shot-stopper was nowhere in sight. The U.S.
men's national team defender immediately put his hands on his head when he released the pass, as it became quickly apparent where the ball was heading. Daizen Maeda would equalize for Celtic in the second half, but the home side would be unable to score again and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. It was a rough moment for a player who has been mostly outstanding since joining Celtic in 2021.
The 26-year-old has led Celtic to three straight Scottish Premiership titles as he has become a mainstay in the club's back line..
