Didi Hamann has pinpointed Borussia Dortmund’s defence as their weak spot ahead of Sunday’s Champions League showdown with Celtic.
Celtic travel to Germany full of confidence after their perfect start to the season continued with a 6-0 hammering of St Johnstone in Perth. But they can expect an altogether different challenge in their second game of the new-look format to Europe’s premier competition against last season’s Champions League runners-up. Dortmund however have looked vulnerable at the back having conceded seven goals in their last two games following a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart and a comeback 4-2 win against local rivals Bochum.
And Champions League winner Hamann, a hero at Liverpool and Man City, has highlighted Dortmund’s problems. He said: “Borussia Dortmund appear to be all over the place at the back at the moment. There was no organisation to their defending. No one seems in control. I got nervous just watching them trying to defend.
“BVB must improve significantly over the course of the season both in the league and in Europe. The Stuttgart debacle posed a lot of questions about them defensively. And to be honest, I don’t think we will get many answers this season.”
And the Hoops will have to bust their German jinx tomorrow if they are to keep their Champions League dream on track having failed to win on 14 occasions. They travel to face Dortmund having NEVER won a game on German soil and have only netted on five occasions from their 14 visits and lost 11 of the games.
Here’s their woeful record in full.
- 17.03.1976, ECWC: Sachsenring Zwickau 1-0 CELTIC.
- 29.09.1987, UC: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 CELTIC.
- 08.11.1988, EC: Werder Bremen 0-0 CELTIC.
- 15.09.1992, UC: Cologne 2-0 CELTIC.
- 20.10.1992, UC: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 CELTIC.
- 24.09.1996, UC: Hamburg 2-0 CELTIC.
- 27.02.2003, UC: Stuttgart 3-2 CELTIC.
- 17.09.2003, CL: Bayern Munich 2-1 CELTIC.
- 05.11.2009, EL: Hamburg 0-0 CELTIC.
- 01.11.2016, CL: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 CELTIC.
- 18.10.2017, CL: Bayern Munich 3-0 CELTIC.
- 25.10.2018: EL: RB Leipzig 2-0 CELTIC.
- 25.11.2021, EL: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 CELTIC.
- 05.10.2022, CL: RB Leipzig 3-1 CELTIC.