The Europa League the chapter is closed by Celticand what follows could cement their season as a success or expose a squad that has been under siege for months. Over the next two weeks, the picture will become much clearer.
Come mid-March, Celtic could find themselves on the rise Scottish Premiership race for the title and through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup. Likewise, they could be struggling to keep their title defense alive as they face the very real prospect of an empty trophy cabinet come May.
It all starts at Ibrox this Sunday, where a Glasgow derby of huge consequence awaits. Celtic enter with two points rangersalthough with a game in hand, while hearts to be six points ahead of the current champions. The math is manageable, but the schedule is brutal. After the trip across town, Celtic face a midweek trip to Aberdeen, a return to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals and then a home clash against an in-form Motherwell. Six of their next seven games are away from Celtic Park, hardly the conditions a team already running on fumes would choose.
Former Celtic defender Johann Mjallby captured the mood well when he noted that this title race could easily go down to the final day, but warned that Celtic must find consistency immediately. “You have to be relentless,” he said, “or they won’t take the trophies.”
Stuttgart’s victory opens a debate
The 1-0 win in Germany against Stuttgart, a bittersweet result given that a 4-1 home defeat in the first leg had already ended Celtic’s Europa League ambitions, did, however, offer something genuinely useful: a selection headache for Martin O’Neill and a timely reminder that the squad has more depth than its critics.
O’Neill made eight changes to his starting line-up and several fringe players made the most of their opportunity. Luke McCowan calmed the nerves within 30 seconds with the only goal, and defenders Dane Murray and Marcelo Sarrachi impressed with a disciplined display at the back. Murray, composed in the air and alert to danger, made a compelling case to partner Liam Scales at the back as Auston Trusty serves a three-game ban.
But the conversation after the final whistle was dominated by one name: Viljami Sinisalo. The 26-year-old Finnish goalkeeper, replacing the scrutinized Kasper Schmeichel, made six saves and barely made a mistake. Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov called it a “perfect” performance. Pat Bonner, himself a Celtic goalkeeping legend, was equally effusive, arguing that Sinisalo had done enough to start against Rangers and should be given a longer run in the team.
O’Neill did not disagree that difficult decisions now lie ahead, diplomatically describing the situation not as a headache but a “selection option”. His smile as he said this suggested that he knew full well that the two equaled the same thing.
Time to grind
Perhaps the most significant thing about Stuttgart was not individual, but collective. Celtic showed they can win badly. That hasn’t always been evident this season, with the team loaned out with worrying regularity and looking brittle in an unfamiliar way for a club accustomed to internal dominance.
The Ibrox record makes for uncomfortable reading. Celtic have not won there since September 2023 in four attempts, and Rangers have won their last ten games at home. There will be no room for the kind of defensive lapses that have marked Celtic’s 2026 campaign.
Bonner’s assessment struck a chord. Celtic don’t need to beat Rangers; they have to fight against them. Work rate, defensive discipline, a bit of fortune and a goalkeeper at the top of his game: these are the ingredients for a result on Sunday. Stuttgart’s victory, however narrow and however qualified by its context, showed that Celtic can produce just that.
The squad has been questioned, the manager has faced scrutiny and the season has been mired in turmoil. But the title is still within reach, the cups are still live, and the next fortnight will tell us all about whether this Celtic team has the character to make the most of it.
