Borussia Dortmund fans branded UEFA bigwigs mafia bosses in a bold pre-match banner. But it was criminal defending that cost Celtic as they crumbled in front of the Yellow Wall.
This was meant to be the new-look Hoops in the Champions League, a team who could give the big guns a run for their money rather than being cannon fodder. So much for that. This was the same old miserable story seen too many times in Europe’s top competition. Chaotic defending, poor decision-making, panicking in possession and losing goals in bunches… every box on the brutal bingo card was ticked. And that was before half-time.
Celtic were 5-1 down by then and well on their way to yet another mauling to accompany the sevens hit by Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain that Brendan Rodgers suffered first time around and the six by Atletico Madrid 11 months ago. Karim Adeyemi plundered a hat-trick inside 45 minutes, with Emre Can and Serhou Guirassy both slotting penalties. Guirassy grabbed another after the break before sub Felix Nmecha completed the bloodbath with 11 minutes left.
Fans might have scudded the local beer but this was a sobering night after Celtic’s slick start to the season. Rodgers’ side have been stuffing rivals but were served up some of their own medicine and then some. Celtic set up to try to press Dortmund, just like most weeks. Only they don’t face this level of quality most weeks.
The heavyweights simply passed through the press and left an exposed backline in tatters. The Hoops lost faith in the plan inside six minutes and were left caught between trying to step on to their rivals and defending their box.
In the end they did neither. Youngsters like Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo got swamped and even Callum McGregor struggled to keep his composure.
Daizen Maeda – who pounced to make it 1-1 for all of 94 seconds – did his usual power of work but fell into the same trap as too many team-mates by giving away the ball cheaply. Deadly Dortmund didn’t need any favours but Celtic were only happy to oblige time and again. And yet, before kick-off it was like old friends reunited.
Former Celtic and Dortmund heroes Murdo MacLeod and Paul Lambert took to the pitch while the whole place belted
out the “You’ll Never Walk Alone” anthem they share. No such niceties were extended once it got going as Dortmund swapped a handshake for repeatedly slapping Celts across the chops.
Rodgers did not have too many dilemmas given Cameron Carter-Vickers had to be left at home nursing his sore big toe. The major call was in the middle where Bernardo – who started the bashing of Bratislava on the bench – got the nod ahead of Reo Hatate.
It was a sound call, with the Portuguese perhaps a tad more disciplined than his counterpart. Discipline is not a word that could be used to describe much of this match, though. Shambolic is more appropriate.
Any chance of Celtic keeping it tight and playing their way into it evaporated sharpish. There was a bit of bad luck at play as Dortmund were awarded a penalty six minutes in.
Jamie Gittens got the break of the ball off McGregor as the Hoops skipper tracked back. That caught Rodgers’ backline wide open for the attacker to race up Alistair Johnston’s inside and beat Kasper Schmeichel to the punch when level with the penalty spot. Can rammed the spot-kick down the middle and the travelling punters gulped.
Inside two minutes they were celebrating as Maeda brilliantly darted in between two bodies to bundle in Engels’ deep cross after Can mucked up clearing. That should’ve been the reset needed but Celtic still looked vulnerable.
Sure enough, they were behind again barely a minute later when Adeyemi skinned Auston Trusty for pace before letting rip with his left peg, his rasper deflecting off the defender’s foot and in.
Eleven minutes, three goals and more scares to come during a full pelt first period spent pretty much at full panic stations. Dortmund were deadly but Celtic didn’t half make it easy for them at times. The arrival of the third goal in the 29th minute was not much of a surprise given the threat level never dropped.
It was a sensational finish from Adeyemi, who peeled away from Maeda after a corner found its way to the far side and smashed high into the net at Schmeichel’s near post. While beautifully struck, it was another lesson in what can happen when quality is given time to operate.
Celtic’s night continued to lurch from bad to worse and it was four with just over five minutes of the half remaining… from another penalty. This time Engels was punished for kicking the sole of Adeyemi’s foot before Guirassy rammed it into Schmeichel’s bottom right corner. By that stage the nightmare was in full flow and further punishment was on its way.
Chief tormentor Adeyemi claimed his hat-trick after Maeda’s heavy touch saw him nick the ball, tee it up on his left and drill into the corner from the edge of the box. Bernardo and Greg Taylor were spared more punishment by being hooked at half-time but the shellshock was going to be harder for the rest to shake.
Dortmund dropped some of the intensity but their menace remained as Schmeichel did his best to keep the score down for as long as he could. Which was until 66 minutes as Johnston gave the ball away and Guirassy tucked home.
Sub Alex Valle was the next one guilty of surrendering possession and after Trusty stuck out a boot, the ball fell for Nmecha to hammer in another nail. By the end Celtic fans were doing the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” chant, which may have been the best way of dealing with this side’s criminal away record in Europe.