THE SCOTTISH SUN 🔵 ‘I don’t think Celtic fans want any lessons from Rangers,’ says Hoops hero

THE personnel and the competition wasn’t the same but it wasn’t a bad old Dortmund team Rangers overcame 4-2 in the Westfalenstadiun on their way to the Europa League final in February 2022.

A certain Jude Bellingham scored on the night – whatever happened to him? – while Mats Hummels, Manuel Akanji, Marco Reus, Julian Brandt and Axel Witsel all played on the night.

4

4

4

Yet goals from Alfredo Morelos, John Lundstram, a James Tavernier penalty and an own goal from Dan Azel Zagadou still saw the Gers claim a famous 4-2 win.

While that was the first leg of a Europa League knockout tie which the Gers eventually won 6-4 on aggregate, it was certainly a better result than last night’s 7-1 dismissal of Celtic in the all new Champions League opening phase.

But when BBC chief sports writer Tom English suggested that Celtic could learn something from the pragmatic approach Rangers used to get that result, Hoops hero Pat Bonner was having none of it.

Speaking on BBC Scotland‘s Scottish Football Podcast, English said: « So Celtic get annihilated tonight.

« In February 2022, Rangers go to Dortmund and win 4-2.

« That Dortmund team was [Gregor] Kobel in goal, he same goalie as tonight, [Raphael] Guerreiro, Hummels, Akanji, Reus, Brandt, Bellingham, Witsel, that’s a pretty decent Dortmund team, they went on to finish second in the table behind Bayern Munich that year.

« Why can Rangers find the pragmatism and Celtic can’t? Routinely can’t »

At that point Bonner interjected: « Listen, I don’t think any Celtic fan would want lessons from Rangers in this!

« You look at your OWN team and come up with a plan. »

But English stuck to his guns, saying: « What did Rangers find that night that Celtic completely failed to find tonight? Can Celtic’s approach be different? »

And fellow pundit James McFadden reckoned their was merit in the suggestion.

« The approach is different, there are reasons why. But they will have to [change approach] now – for me.

« I can understand coming to test yourself, particularly now with the format, you are not coming to Dortmund knowing they are coming to Celtic Park too.

4

« You are not in the same format. The home ties are favourable for Celtic and I think a lot of people think Celtic can win three or four of their home ties which people think is enough to go through. »

« But you can’t approach the Atalanta game the same way, you have to try to adopt a more defensive approach.

« I’m not saying you don’t press them, but you press them from a deeper area. »

Our New YouTube Channel

Subscribe to our new Scottish Sun Sport YouTube channel for all the latest football news, views and amazing moments.

We’ve got every major development covered from Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and the rest of the Scottish Premiership.

Plus we have TWO brilliant new podcasts to watch every week…

MONDAY

Go Ballistic with Roger Hannah and special guest Kris Boyd will dissect all the weekend action and deliver their no-holds-barred reaction.

WEDNESDAY

Robert Grieve and Bill Leckie chew over the tastiest topics in Scottish football and offer their unique takes in their Coffee Club.

FRIDAY

Go Ballistic is back with Roger Hannah and top tipster Jim Delahunt looking ahead to the weekend games and analysing the biggest talking points.

Subscribe now and don’t miss a thing.

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page