Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted his side was “spooked” by Borussia Dortmund’s lightning-fast response, which triggered a brutal 7-1 demolition in Germany. Despite arriving at Signal Iduna Park riding high on 17 straight wins, including a 5-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava, the Hoops were completely dismantled. Daizen Maeda’s early equalizer gave fans brief hope, but Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi responded with a first-half hat-trick that quickly crushed Celtic’s momentum, leaving them on the receiving end of the kind of thrashing they’d been dishing out.
Rodgers reflected on the match, saying: “It was a tough watch, to be honest. We weren’t at our best, and they showed why they’re a top, top team. Every mistake we made got punished, and that’s the level. Every misplaced pass seemed to end up in the back of the net.” He added, “We had a few chances in the second half, but things just didn’t fall our way. At this level, especially away against a top team, you need to be at your highest level. We weren’t, and they were.”
Rodgers highlighted how costly basic errors were, with Maeda twice losing possession to Adeyemi, who punished Celtic with clinical finishes. “That’s the learning that comes at this level,” Rodgers remarked. “I think we may have got spooked early on. We scored the equalizer, but almost immediately found ourselves 2-1 behind. They gained control, moved the ball well, and we started chasing the game.”
Rodgers acknowledged that Celtic’s struggles stemmed from both poor positioning and technical lapses. “Our quality and passing were off. We were either short, didn’t make the right pass, or the touch wasn’t right. Technically, we just didn’t play a good game,” he said.Despite past heavy defeats in the Champions League, Rodgers remains committed to his approach. “We went in high in confidence,” he added. “The team’s been playing ever so well, so we felt we were in a really good place. But we needed to start the game much better than we did.”
Rodgers reflected on the game, pointing out key issues, particularly in positioning: “When we analyse the game, there were certain positioning issues that we have to improve. We got punished for passes and loose play, and their finishing was absolutely ruthless—it was incredible to see.”He continued, “At times, our positioning was too open, and you’ve got to tighten the game, or else they’ll play right through you, which is exactly what they did. Once they’re in, their speed and power at the highest level is clear, and you see where that takes them.”