Matchday 7 The wait is over.

The Young Boys game looms large and has done for weeks. Domestically, a massive lead in the league has left games feeling arbitrary, a lack of jeopardy has sub-consciously dulled the edge with which Celtic performed, earlier in the season.

Since the draw in Zagreb, tonight’s game has stood out in bold, amongst the lengthy fixture list; a win would see progression to the knock-out stages of the newly formatted Champion’s League guaranteed. Significant opportunity awaits, as does the feeling of unfinished business.

After the thorough chasing given to Leipzig on matchday 4, draws with Club Brugge and Dinamo – on matchday 5 and 6 – were chances missed. Pot 1 was a real possibility at one point but 12 points and qualification with a game to spare, would validate, a sizeable improvement at this level since Rodgers returned.

Despite the immediate and obvious reward, these victories add up. A win would mean 7 games out of 8, unbeaten in Champion’s League group games, 4 wins and 2 draws in 6 at home. A world away from the results of the proceeding decade. The 2-1 win over Feyenoord in December 2024, was Celtic’s first at Parkhead in 10 years.

Of course, the Dortmund game was a disaster from the 2nd minute to the last but since then, we have seen clean sheets, away to both Atalanta and Dinamo. Clean sheets for Celtic in Europe are rare, to say the least. Growth, maturity, and maybe the experience accumulated from 3 consecutive appearances in the group stages, have transformed the general outlook on Europe.

Statistically, the Swiss champions are the worst team in the competition and to provide reference, sit below Slovan Bratislava in the current standings. Outright favourites to win, is a role that never fits comfortably in Europe though and whilst we barter with ourselves, about fixture schedules, team rotation and poor conditions, there has been a fragility to Celtic lately.

Tonight is a chance, that needs to be taken regardless of performance but it would be nice to do it, with the emphatic style displayed against Leipzig or Bratislava.

The final matchday in the Champions League group has often been relegated to dead rubber status in recent years and hopefully it is again. For all the right reasons.

Winging it.

The return of Kuhn and Maeda is massive to the speed in which, we can get at Young Boys. Instrumental to our creativity and disruptive to the opposition, their pace and directness can really upset defenders and cause mistakes in the areas we want. I can see Kuhn scoring, he has been unplayable at points this season and it’s another big opportunity for him to shine. Maeda is also key and often sets the tempo in big Celtic performances. His industry is infectious and although he remains erratic, he is a far more polished player in front of goal than he was previously.