Perennial Scottish Premiership champions Celtic have picked up where they left off after winning a record-extending 54th league title last season almost uncontested. Celtic fans with privacy concerns can use VPNs for secure online betting, and continue to bet on their team to dominate in the Premiership.
Brendan Rodgers inspired the Hoops to their third consecutive domestic triumph in his first season after returning to Scottish football from Leicester City.
Celtic only lost three of their 38 league outings en route to the title, and they look equally determined to replicate that formidable run this term amid a scintillating start.
With a relatively straightforward away clash against St Johnstone waiting in the wings, the Glasgow giants come into proceedings buoyed by a five-game winning Premiership opening.
Rodgers’ men have been ruthless on the domestic front, netting 14 unanswered goals to move five points clear of arch-rivals Rangers at the table’s summit.
However, they’re not alone at the top of the tree, with Aberdeen going toe-to-toe in the early title race, having upheld a 100% win ratio against Motherwell last weekend.
While lifting the Premiership crown has become part of Celtic’s tradition, things have often not gone well for the Hoops in European action.
Hellbent on changing the narrative this season, the reigning Scottish champions swept Champions League debutants Slovan Bratislava aside with an emphatic 5-1 win on matchday one.
Celtic’s October schedule kicks off in this competition as we look at the challenges awaiting Rodgers’ charges next month.
Borussia Dortmund [Champions League, A] – 01/10/2024
Slovan failed to test Celtic’s continental credentials, but a trip to Signal Iduna Park to face Borussia Dortmund probably will.
New Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin relinquished his unbeaten start at the helm with a humiliating 5-1 loss at Stuttgart last weekend.
Die Boruseen will be keen to atone for conceding 5+ goals in a Bundesliga match for the first time since February 2022 when the Hoops touch down in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, labelled as Dortmund’s ‘next €100m prospect’ by Ruhr Nachrichten, may require special attention from Rodgers’ defenders after a superb Bundesliga start.
Ross County [Premiership, A] – 06/10/2024
Fatigue could be an issue for Celtic after a daunting-looking trip to Germany. Luckily, they meet perennial strugglers Ross County in their last league game before October’s international break.
This fixture has all the makings of a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash, with the Hoops emerging victorious from the last 11 meetings between the teams across all competitions.
Aberdeen [Premiership, H] – 19/10/2024
Celtic’s first game after the break is an opportunity for Rodgers’ side to put daylight between themselves and the nearest title competitors, Aberdeen.
Celtic Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Dons in recent years, considering they’ve lost on their last eight league visits, including the most recent four via a combined score of 17-0.
Atalanta [Champions League, A] – 23/10/2024
Per The Scotsman, Celtic Women made history on Thursday, overcoming Vorskla Poltava 3-0 on aggregate in the Champions League play-off round to become the first Scottish team to appear in the newly formatted group phase.
If the men’s team is to follow in the ladies’ footsteps and become the first Scottish club to reach the Champions League knockout stages since 2013, avoiding defeat in Bergamo will be imperative.
However, Italian clubs have often been Celtic’s scourge in Europe, as best illustrated by the Hoops’ unenviable all-time record against Serie A opposition (W7, D8, L14).
Motherwell [Premiership, A] – 27/10/2024
Despite a decent league start (W2, D1, L2), Motherwell can hardly offer much resistance as they haven’t in any of their last nine competitive encounters against Celtic at Fir Park (L9).
An ongoing four-match unbeaten home streak could be a confidence booster for the hosts, but anything other than the Hoops’ win would be a significant upset.
Dundee FC [Premiership, H] – 30/10/2024
Speaking of dominant form and historical superiority in a specific fixture, Celtic have eased past Dundee in their last 11 competitive clashes, including a 7-1 rout in this corresponding match-up in February.
As if that’s not ominous enough for the Dark Blues, you’d need to go back to May 2001 for their last victory against the unrivalled Scottish heavyweights in any competition.
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