Champions League I: Slovan Bratislava

Champions League I: Slovan Bratislava
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


Arne Engels scores his first goal for Celtic against Hearts at the weekend


Celtic Park, Glasgow
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
20.00 BST

The Bhoys' Champions League quest is set to get underway this week, when they host Slovakian champions, Slovan Bratislava, tomorrow evening.

With the Celts victorious again at the weekend to maintain their perfect start to the league title defence, attention now turns to what many consider to be the real benchmark by which the progress that Brendan Rodgers' side is to be measured.

Despite the relatively comfortable 2-0 final score against Hearts at the weekend - including a fifth straight league clean sheet - it is fair to say that the Bhoys were not quite as smooth and in rhythm as they had been prior to the International break.

Hopefully, getting that game out of the way and a few extra days at Lennoxtown will allow for Rodgers to get the side firing on all cylinders once again before this first Continental test.​

Victory against Slovan Bratislava will make it 7 wins in the first 7 games under Rodgers this season

Who are Slovan Bratislava?

Like Celtic, Slovan have consistently proven to be one of the genuine powerhouses on the Slovakian domestic scene - indeed, were also during the days of the old Czechoslovakia - and have tasted European success at a similiar stage in history, when they lifted the 1969 Cup Winners' Cup, just two years after our own Lisbon Lions' European Cup triumph.

This season Slovan have also started quite well; in pursuit of a 7th straight Slovakian Super Liga title, and have lost just once so far this season. So on the respective domestic fronts there is actually quite a bit of similiarity in that regard.

And there is a determination at work here; even as they had to claw all the way through four rounds of qualifying to reach this league stage, they did so undefeated and will looking to prove that quality once again against the Hoops on Wednesday.

This sort of tenacity was again put to the test earlier this month, after they went into the recent International break on the back of a 5-0 mauling at the hands of their closest challengers in the league, MSK Zilina - but even this they seem to have taken that opportunity over the break to refocus their efforts and put that heavy defeat behind them, which has seemingly worked.

Indeed, they are coming into this game on the back of a 2-1 win at the weekend over Dunajska Streda and immediately prior to that progressed to the 3rd round of the Slovnaft Cup.


Former Celtic and Slovakian legend Lubo Moravcik "Celtic are in my heart."

A legend of both Celtic and Slovakian football, Lubo Moravcik, had this to say when asked about this matchup: "I have my fingers crossed for Slovan Bratislava for every game they play... except when they play against Celtic, as Celtic are in my heart."

The little magician went on to draw further comparisons between current Slovan manager, Vladimir Weiss, and former Celtic boss, Dr Venglos, commenting, "Weiss is definitely the best Slovakian manager of recent times. I know he follows coaching methods he picked up from Venglos. They are still very useful today."

Considering the unknown aspect of the new League format, Celtic will want to secure a positive result right from the go, and while in the past this has often proved tricky and acknowledging there are no easy games when it comes to the Champions League, Brendan and the Bhoys could not possibly have hoped for a better opportunity to get the campaign off in the best way possible, with a win tomorrow night, and avoid immediately having to play catch up in this competition.

By the Numbers​

• The Hoops are undefeated at home against all opposition since mid-December 2023, winning 15 and drawing just once since then.

• Celtic will be looking for their first win in the opening group stage match of any European competition since September 2018 - and this could be their first ever in an opening Champions League group stage match.

• Kasper Schmeichel has kept 5 clean sheets in the first 6 games of this season - the sole goal conceded coming in a 3-1 League Cup win against Hibs, last month.

• Slovan have kept just two clean sheets in the past 7 games, and have conceded 10 goals during that run.

Kasper Schmeichal will want to add to the 5 clean sheets in his first 6 games for Celtic

Team News

Brendan Rodgers has close to a full squad available, aside from Maik Nawrocki (calf), although it is unlikely that the starting XI will differ greatly from the one that started at the weekend against Hearts, meaning Arne Engels will most likely kine up alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate in midfield.

As for the Slovakian visitors, they will likely be without defender Lukas Pauschek (shoulder) and it will be interesting to see who the starting goalkeeper will be, with Dominik Takac having primarily featured throughout the previous qualifying rounds with just one appearance in the league, where Martin Trovsky has been preferred.

Slovan are likely to be deployed in a 4-2-3-1 formation (although do occasionally line up 4-3-3), with their biggest strength being playing attacking football, while Tigran Barseghyan is undoubtedly the man that the Celtic defenders will need to be particularly mindful of going into this clash, with the Armenian having already notched 8 goals and 2 assists to his credit this season.​

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)

The experienced Dutchman has taken charge of almost 50 Champions League matches, including 2 Semi-Finals, but only once previously officiated a game involving the Hoops, which ended in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich, in 2017.

Celtic's Overall Record
M:1 W:0 D:0 L:1

VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)


~~~~ Against Slovakian Opposition ~~~~

While this will be the first time these sides will be lining up against each other, the Bhoys have come up against Slovakian opponants previously.

Perhaps the most infamous was in a Champions League Qualifier in 2005, when Artmedia Bratislava stunned Celtic 5-0. Although Gordon Strachan's Bhoys won 4-0 on the return leg in Glasgow, the damage had already been done.

Overall
P:4 W:2 D:1 L:1

~~~~ 2022/23 Form ~~~~

All Comps
W W W W W ~ W W L W W​