Scottish Premiership holders Celtic will travel to Borussia Park on Tuesday 1st November to play their crucial Champions League encounter against Borussia Monchengladbach. Seeded in the group C along with the likes of mighty Barcelona and Manchester City, there seemed to be very little chance for either of the two sides to make it to the round of 16 but Manchester City’s 3-3 draw against Celtic and then their heavy defeat at the hands of Barcelona means Celtic and Gladbach have an opportunity to have a crack at the second spot.
Even if the winner of this game fails to trump Manchester City for the second spot, this game can easily decide who makes it to the Europa League from the group and who goes out empty handed. Celtic, since their 2-0 loss to Gladbach last month, have won three games in a row without conceding. The run includes two wins against strong sides like Rangers and Aberdeen.
We can expect a cracker of a game at Borussia Park on Tuesday and here are three key battles those could decide the outcome.
Scott Brown Vs Mahmoud Dahoud
Celtic skipper Scott Brown is enjoying a purple patch right now. The 31-year-old has absolutely bossed the midfield on a regular basis this season and has to ensure that he has a similar display against Gladbach in the midweek.
For the control of the midfield, Brown has to battle against Gladbach prodigy Mahmoud Dahoud. The 20-year-old has a brilliant reputation across Europe as one of the biggest emerging talents thanks to his excellent composure and control on the game despite his tender age. This midfield battle will have a big say in the outcome of the game.
