Maeda saves point for Celtic against Club Brugge after Carter-Vickers error

At certain moments during the match, it seemed like the only question was how many goals Club Brugge would score. When Cameron Carter-Vickers accidentally put the ball in his own net, giving the Belgians the lead, Celtic fell into a frenzy. Everything seemed to be going against them.

Celtic shouldn't worry about the fact that they managed to secure a draw. In truth, Brugge's missed chances shouldn't bother Brendan Rodgers at all. Thanks to Daizen Maeda's impressive goal, Celtic is now in a good position to advance to the playoff stage of the Champions League. This result showcased the essence of football; while Brugge displayed flair and confidence, Celtic demonstrated a strong will to avoid defeat. It's no surprise that Rodgers appeared pleased after the match, even if his assertion that Celtic played better in the second half was questionable. With eight points from five matches, the team's performance is commendable.

"We were up against a strong team," Rodgers remarked. "I believe the players demonstrated impressive determination in the second half. They exhibited a never-give-up attitude and continued to push forward. With nine points still available, we are definitely on track to achieve our goals."

Three matches had appeared to wipe away years of disappointment. Celtic's impressive victory against Slovan Bratislava, their draw with Atalanta, and their outstanding win over RB Leipzig sparked a feeling of belonging in the Champions League. Memories of seasons when the Scottish champions struggled at this stage faded away; anticipation was high for Brugge’s arrival. Even Celtic's 7-1 defeat in Dortmund seemed like a minor detail before the game began. Thanks to the revamped Champions League format and some great performances, a new opportunity and outlook have emerged.

Brugge came to Glasgow fully aware of how Celtic had overwhelmed Leipzig in their previous match. The Belgian team kicked off strongly, with Ferran Jutglà hitting the side netting just five minutes in. Celtic, on the other hand, was more hopeful than realistic in their attacks. Jutglà opted to go down instead of taking a shot at Kasper Schmeichel after outrunning Carter-Vickers to get a pass from Hans Vanaken. For the first part of the game, Brugge clearly looked like the more organized team, largely due to Celtic's struggling midfield. Andreas Skov Olsen then sent another shot wide, leaving Schmeichel out of position.

Celtic continued to receive support. Nicolas Kühn likely shouldn’t have been coming back toward his own net, but he might say he had no option due to Brugge's intense pressing. He passed the ball to Carter-Vickers, who attempted to send it to Schmeichel. The issue was that Celtic’s Danish goalie was actually 10 yards away from where Carter-Vickers delivered the pass.

With Schmeichel still out of action, Carter-Vickers had the unfortunate experience of scoring an own goal. If it weren't so serious for Celtic, it could have been seen as a humorous situation. Carter-Vickers was foolishly reckless, leading to a painful result. Following their penalty blunder against Aston Villa, Brugge seems to be turning strange Champions League moments into advantages. However, their lead was well-earned. Celtic certainly needed half-time to regroup and catch their breath.

Brugge had a chance to extend their lead early in the second half, but Schmeichel managed to deflect Maxim De Cuyper’s shot wide after the defender made a strong run towards the goal.

Brugge had diminished the energy at Celtic Park. Before the match, Rodgers had encouraged his players to harness the "power" of the stadium. However, the crowd was noticeably on edge. With an hour gone, there was concern that Celtic was struggling to make an impact in the match. The nervousness among Brugge's vocal fans was due to the feeling that their team was leading more comfortably than the flow of the game suggested. Skov Olsen had a chance to change that but missed the target completely after receiving a great cross from De Cuyper.

Celtic took advantage of the visitors' missed opportunities. Maeda, who had been mostly absent from the action up to that point, made a strong move inward and managed to score by finding the space between Simon Mignolet and the left post. The crowd was filled with a mix of shock and celebration. Maeda's contribution was truly remarkable.

Jutglà thought he had put Brugge ahead again after Celtic struggled to handle a cross from their right side. However, the forward quickly became frustrated with the VAR, which rightly disallowed the goal due to offside. This match was certainly pushing Brugge’s patience.

The substitutions interrupted the rhythm of the game. Celtic brought in Adam Idah to lead their offense, indicating that Rodgers was hoping to secure a win. Another substitution proved to be even more important, as Paolo Bernardo strengthened the midfield for the home side. Reo Hatate tried an ambitious volley that ended up nearer to the corner flag than the net. Tired and out of steam, Celtic settled for a draw.