Opposition View: Borussia Monchengladbach (H)

Borussia Mönchengladbach arrive in Glasgow on the back of a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Hamburger SV.

It wasn’t the result head coach Andre Schubert was looking for, as he looked to end his side’s poor run of form and gather some momentum ahead of the clash with Celtic.

Two wins in their last six has seen them fall down the Bundesliga table, however they still remain two points off European places.

Strengths

Without a doubt Die Fohlen possess attacking power, whether it be on the counter-attack or normal interplay.

Despite their poor form, don’t rule out the quality of Andre Hahn, the young German is a tricky attacker with a load of speed to burn and he will be a problem for the Celtic defence, if he gets the right service.

Gladbach boast attacking power in the form of Hahn, as mentioned, Fabian Johnson, Lars Stindl, and Patrick Hermann, all of whom can pose real danger for Celtic in the final third.

Weaknesses

One main problem for Schubert’s side is their defensive concentration. Their concentration is a major flaw for the German side. They took an unlikely lead against Barcelona on matchday two but lapses of concentration and the sheer class of the Catalonian side undone all their hard work, but these problems can be seen in not only their defeats (against SC Freiburg, but also in their wins against Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen).

Their poor defending has cost them a number of times this season, namely a 4-0 defeat away to Schalke, conceding a penalty at the Etihad, and letting a one-goal lead slip at Freiburg.

Brendan Rodgers will be looking to exploit the gaps left by the defence as they charge forward to halt play. Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair will be key in finding those gaps.

Players to watch

The visitors will be without key players Thorgan Hazard and Raffael meaning Hahn will have to lead from the front. The German will be looking to make up for his penalty miss at the weekend. Celtic must be wary of his pace and power up front.

Another player who may cause Rodgers is Hermann, the winger has been key to Schubert’s success down the right-hand side, no matter who the strike force are, Hermann will look to link up and create opportunities.

Prediction

Away from home, the Germans have been awful, conceding eight in their last three trips away from Borussia Park, and on Wednesday, Gladbach’s poor run of form will continue at Celtic Park.

The occasion will get the better of the visitors and the hosts will be raring to get their first three points of the group stage on the board, adding a slight glimmer of hope to their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages, or at least nailing down the Europa League knockout stage.

Predicted Score: Celtic 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach.