Hoop Dreams: Without Rangers, Celtic is Doomed to an Early European Exit

An extra long weekend has been declared on the green side of Glasgow, as Celtic confirmed their place in the UEFA Champions League final 16 with a win over Spartak Moscow earlier today.  The Bhoys were done a favor as Benfica drew a mishmash of Barcelona's A & B squads, which allowed Celtic to advance out of Group G alongside Barca.

Despite the win and a spot in the next phase of Europe's elite club tournament, Celtic supporters have plenty to worry about. While the win today was a major accomplishment, it was not one to sing too loudly about.  For stretches of the match, Nigerian Emmannuel Emenike terrorized his countrymen Efe Ambrose in Celtic's defense and put himself in very dangerous positions (one of which translated into a goal for the Russians). Despite dominating much of the possession, Celtic were mere minutes away from being bounced out of the tournament if it hadn't been for a (rather generous) penalty that was awarded to Georgios Samaras which was subsequently slammed into the net by Kris Commons in the 85th minute. Luckily for the Glaswegians, Samaras, Kris Commons and the Celtic midfield put in a great shift. But, will that sort of effort work against the quality of potential opponents in the next round? Paris Saint Germain, Schalke, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Manchester United. Pick your poison. All of these teams possess much better players than Emmanuel Emenike. The Bhoys always have a chance at Celtic Park, but even the most ardent Celtic supporter would be worried about every single one of those potential match ups.

Georgios Samaras: Man of the Match against Spartak Moscow

So, the situation is rather bleak in the Champions League, but that's fine since Celtic are the Kings of Scotland, you say? Not so fast! The Bhoys are going through a dismal domestic stretch, which has seen the club win twice in the last six matches, seeing their lead a top the Scottish Premier League shrink to 1 point (ahead of Hibernian). This points to a much bigger problem:  Celtic seems to have adopted a habit in which they play up or down to the level of their opposition. Great when playing Barca, not so much when you play Kilmarnock.

In the short-term, an exciting, down to the wire Scottish Premier League campaign gives clubs like Hibernian and Inverness a shot at a title that they have not had a sniff of in years. But, where does this lead to for Celtic both domestically and in Europe? Directly towards complacency. The Celtic of 2007, who also made it to the final 16 of the Champions League before being sent home by Barcelona, were in a much better place as they had to battle with Rangers tooth and nail to the end for the Scottish title that year. While the rivalry created great hatred among both team's fans, it helped to establish a higher level of competition, which often translated for a higher quality of play in Europe from the Scottish representative (whether it was Rangers or Celtic). With a "new' Rangers toiling in the 3rd division of Scotland after its insolvency, the Scottish game no longer has this dynamic. Celtic are the only show in town and, the show ain't work watching right now.

The Old Firm Derby: Produced both the best & worst of Scottish football

In the the short-term, Celtic are in a fine place, as they will likely continue to qualify for the Champions League and makes millions because of this. But, how far will they go in the UEFA Champions Leagu coming years if they remain the under challenged Kings of Scotland? Not very far. Don't see where I'm going with this? See BATE Borisov and FC Cluj.