Can anyone stop Celtic in Scotland?
It’s a question every top-flight manager, and some beyond, must be wrestling with.
And if the answer seems elusive, a bigger question arises that is, how do you stop them?
As they pursue a fourth consecutive league title, Brendan Rodgers' side have already thumped three past Rangers, triumphed at second-placed Aberdeen, and hammered the same opponents 6-0 in the League Cup semi-final. Their domestic dominance isn’t just impressive – it’s overwhelming.
Out of a possible 42 Premiership points, Celtic have amassed 40. They boast a seven-point lead at the top of the table, which could stretch to ten with a win in their game in hand. They remain unbeaten away from home in the league, and across all competitions, they’ve netted a staggering 65 goals in 22 games.
Celtic fans have been loving this season so far. The video below shows fans response to that extraordinary win over Aberdeen in the League Cup.
Rodgers has done this before. In his first season at Celtic eight years ago, he orchestrated an unprecedented clean sweep of all three major Scottish trophies – the ‘invincible treble’ – racking up 106 points out of 114 in the league. Could he repeat the feat?
That 2016-17 squad featured stars like Kieran Tierney, Dedryck Boyata, Scott Sinclair, and Patrick Roberts. By March, Moussa Dembele had already smashed in 32 goals. Rodgers even matched wits with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League, earning two well-fought draws.
Fast forward to today, and Celtic are on the cusp of the Champions League knockout stages, driven by a new core. Kasper Schmeichel, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor, and Kyogo form a solid spine. Add the pace of Daizen Maeda and the creativity of Reo Hatate and Nicolas Kuhn, and you have a team many fans are beginning to compare to Rodgers’ invincible side.
So, is this Celtic team even better?
It’s a tantalising question for the Parkhead faithful. Meanwhile, the rest of Scotland is still grappling with the original conundrum: how do you beat a Celtic team that seems unstoppable under a manager closing in on yet another treble?
We're exploring how good #Celtic are
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 6, 2024
Was that win over Rangers their best league performance of the season so far?
Head to https://t.co/Mu4Cn3wz9B to discuss.https://t.co/cLS6pO5X4e
Daniel, a Celtic fan from Glasgow, told us: "Let's not get carried away. We haven't won anything yet. It also looks like Rangers are starting to play their way into form again. All that being said, this season has been incredible so far. The only major negative was that defeat against Dortmund. Nobody played well that night.
"Winning the domestic treble again would be a fantastic achievement but I'd honestly take progression in the Champions League to the last 16 or last 8 over winning the Scottish Cup. Progression in that competition would be the biggest indication of how good this side is."