Half-Time: Dortmund 5-1 Celtic – Hoops Trail At The Break

As the first half draws to a close at Signal Iduna Park, Celtic finds themselves in a challenging position, trailing 5-1 to Borussia Dortmund in an explosive Champions League encounter.

The match began with a gut punch for Celtic when Borussia Dortmund was awarded a penalty just seven minutes in.

Emre Can stepped up to take the kick, placing it perfectly down the middle to give the hosts an early lead.

However, Celtic showcased their resilience just moments later.

Daizen Maeda capitalised on a defensive error, bundling the ball over the line from close range to level the score at 1-1.

Despite the early equaliser, Celtic struggled to maintain their momentum.

Just two minutes later, Dortmund struck again.

A well-placed pass from Julian Brandt released Karim Adeyemi, who sped into space and fired a deflected shot past Schmeichel to put Dortmund back in front at 2-1.

The hosts quickly added to their tally, as Adeyemi found the net again, capitalising on a corner that wasn’t cleared effectively.

His powerful shot from the edge of the area soared into the top-left corner, making it 3-1.

Things went from bad to worse for Celtic as they conceded a second penalty shortly before half-time.

Arne Engels clipped Adeyemi in the box, prompting the referee to point to the spot once more.

This time, Serhou Guirassy stepped up and dispatched the penalty into the left side of the net, extending Dortmund’s lead to 4-1.

Just before the break, Adeyemi completed his hat-trick, taking advantage of another defensive lapse from Celtic.

Gifted the ball by a careless pass from Maeda, he clinically fired it into the bottom-right corner, bringing the score to an alarming 5-1 for Celtic.

Celtic’s defensive frailties were glaring throughout the half, with Dortmund exploiting every opportunity to attack.

Schmeichel was called into action repeatedly, making several key saves to prevent the scoreline from being even worse.

The Bhoys need to regroup during the interval to tighten up their defence and regain some composure if they hope to mount any sort of comeback.

Despite the setbacks, Celtic has shown moments of attacking intent, particularly through Maeda. Brendan Rodgers will undoubtedly look to rally his players during the break, emphasising the importance of solidifying their defence and taking better care of possession as they head into the second half. The Scottish champions must find a way to control the Game better if they are to keep their Champions League hopes alive.