Gary Lineker Makes Brilliant Celtic Prediction

Gary Lineker has admitted that Celtic could be a “dark horse” in this season’s Champions League, even if it feels a bit strange given the Hoops heavy defeat against Borussia Dortmund.

Brendan Rodgers’ side made a bright start with a thumping 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, only for that positive goal difference to be entirely erased—and then some—when they were humbled 7-1 away in Germany.

For a moment, it seemed to be the familiar tale of European struggles for the Hoops. However, a disciplined defensive performance in a draw against Atalanta has given them a promising foundation to work with, accumulating four points from their opening three Games.

Starting their group campaign with a winnable home match followed by two challenging away fixtures, four points is a respectable haul for Celtic. This sees them sitting 20th in the Champions League table, a position that currently keeps them in contention for knockout Football under the tournament’s new format.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker shared his thoughts on the unexpected standouts in the Champions League so far. While Aston Villa and Brest, who both lead their respective groups, were obvious mentions, Lineker included Celtic among his picks. “Villa, three wins from three, you’d have to say them. The three English teams are top, aren’t they, with Manchester City and Liverpool as well,” he said. “So I’d say Brest, the team in France, who are going really well. Two wins and a draw, which is, I think, pretty impressive.”

Reflecting on Celtic’s prospects, he added, “Celtic, in a weird way, considering they actually got battered in one Game—seven against Dortmund—they’ve got four points from the other two Games. That gives them a chance of being, probably realistically, in the middle block.”

With five matches still to go, Celtic’s opening win over Slovan Bratislava and their gritty draw with Europa League champions Atalanta have positioned them well. Next up for the Hoops is RB Leipzig, who, despite facing their own struggles this season, will arrive in Glasgow with confidence. Celtic will look to make home advantage count and keep their Champions League run going.