Rampant Celtic overpowered Slovan Bratislava at a jubilant Celtic Park
to win their opening Champions League game for the first time ever in impressive style.
On a rare occasion when they began a game in Europe’s premier competition as favourites, Brendan Rodgers’ side delivered an invigorating performance full of energy and poise.
Liam Scales headed in Arne Engels’ corner to send the crowd wild on 17 minutes, and the Scottish champions created a flurry of other opportunities before the break but failed to embellish their score.
However, Kyogo Furuhashi diverted Nicolas Kuhn’s fierce cross into the net barely two minutes into the second half, banishing any lingering nerves Celtic fans may have had about profligacy returning to bite them.
Further opportunities came and went before the outstanding Engels slotted in a third from the penalty spot after Alistair Johnston was caught by Danylo Ihnatenko.
Kevin Wimmer’s brilliant finish with the outside of his left foot briefly punctured the party atmosphere as Slovan hit back, but normal service quickly resumed.
Reo Hatate teed up Daizen Maeda to re-establish Celtic’s three-goal cushion, before James Forrest slipped through fellow substitute Adam Idah to round off a morale-boosting and much-needed victory.
Slick Celtic rise to pressure as favourites
The Celtic story in the Champions League in the last decade has been wearily familiar, with the storied Glasgow fortress of old fading into distant memory, replaced with tales of defensive woe and a stack of painful losses.
Rodgers part in that – despite continued domestic dominance – has also come under scrutiny, with the Northern Irishman managing just two wins as Celtic boss in 18 games in the Champions League prior to this one.
Here they were presented with a huge opportunity to win their opening game at the 13th attempt, against a Slovan side with less means and making their first appearance at this level.
Rodgers himself said this was the best he had ever felt coming into a European campaign after a strong summer window and start to the domestic season.
There was pressure, then, to make a mark and they duly did with a slick performance which provided too much for the Slovakian champions.
Record signing Engels was hugely influential as Celtic passed with purpose and speed, as well as hounding their visitors every time they lost the ball.
Engels, Kyogo, and Maeda all could have netted hat-tricks such was Celtic’s dominance as they repeatedly worked the ball neatly through midfield and down the sides of the porous Bratislava backline.
With trips to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, plus a home game against RB Leipzig to come, the tests will only get sterner from now.
However, this performance here re-ignited the European fire at Celtic Park and sets them up well to make a fist of reaching the play-off round in this revamped format, where a place in the top 24 keeps the campaign going.
Slovan in for tough campaign
Making their Champions League bow, this was a tough lesson for Slovan.
Vladimir Weiss’ side had done to them what superior sides have done to Celtic over the years, as they struggled to cope with the intensity of their opponents with and without the ball.
They did have their moments, chiefly when former Tottenham midfielder Wimmer profited from Greg Taylor’s skewed clearance to calmly find the top corner of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal.
Vladimir Weiss, the pantomime villain of the night as a former Rangers forward, also had a great chance to level in the first half but – typically of Slovan in this game – he took too long to shoot and ended up having his effort blocked.
Overall, though, they looked well short of this level and will face a struggle to pick up points.
Match stats
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Celtic have won their first match of a Champions League campaign for the first time at the 13th attempt.
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Slovan were the ninth side to concede more than five goals in their first Champions League game, after Feyenoord, Maccabi Haifa, Levski Sofia, Zurich, Sporting Braga, Rostov, Qarabag, and Royal Antwerp.
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Celtic scored five goals in a single European Cup or Champions League match for the first time since September 1977 against Jeunesse Esch (6-1).
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It’s the first time they have had five different scorers in this competition since September 1973 against TPS Turku.
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Having only won two of his first 23 Champions League matches (D6 L15), Rodgers has won both his last two.
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Engels was only the second player to both score and assist a goal on his Champions League debut for Celtic, after Henrik Larsson against Juventus in September 2001.
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Kasper Schmeichel was the first player aged 37 or above to appear for Celtic in the Champions League.
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