Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League last month when they conceded a last-gasp goal to Alphonso Davies against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their play-off tie.
The Hoops seemed destined for extra time against the German giants, with the aggregate score at 2-2 after Nicolas Kuhn’s opener, before that late goal sent them crashing out of Europe for this season.
Brendan Rodgers should be proud of the efforts from his side in the Champions League this term, however, as they managed to qualify for the play-off round.
Last season, in the previous format, Celtic finished rock bottom of their group and only won one of their six matches, which illustrates how much better their performance this year was.
There were so many excellent performers for the Scottish Premiership giants in the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, as a number of players stepped up to show that they have the quality to shine at that level.
Celtic's Champions League stat leaders
Celtic splashed the cash to bolster their squad in the last summer transfer window and their biggest signing, Arne Engels, was one of their top performers in the competition.
The Hoops smashed their club-record transfer fee to sign the Belgian midfielder for a reported fee of £11m and he ended the season with the most assists (three) in the Champions League for the club.
Engels, who scored and assisted a goal in the 5-1 win over Slovan, was not the only big-money summer addition to shine on the European stage for the Scottish giants.
Celtic signed USA international Auston Trusty from Sheffield United for a reported fee of £6m and he averaged a club-high 4.9 clearances per game in Europe, which speaks to his ability to read danger in the box.
Sofascore rating
Reo Hatate (7.25)
Goals
Daizen Maeda (4)
Assists
Arne Engels (3)
Big chances created
Nicolas Kuhn (5)
Tackles won per game
Alistair Johnston (2.8)
Interceptions per game
Alistair Johnston (1.4)
Clearances per game
Auston Trusty (4.9)
As you can see in the table above, a few players who were already at Parkhead before last summer also starred in the competition, including warrior-like defender Alistair Johnston, who led the team in tackles and interceptions per game respectively.
Daizen Maeda stepped up in front of goal with a return of four goals from 2.80 xG in his nine appearances in the Champions League, whilst he was not rewarded with any assists despite creating 1.12 xA worth of chances.
Another player who showed signs of promise in Europe, despite not leading any of the key statistics above, was summer signing Adam Idah, who re-joined from Norwich City on a permanent deal.
Adam Idah's performances in the Champions League
Celtic had already been knocked out of the Champions League by the time that the Ireland international signed for the club on loan for the second half of last season, which meant that he did not get the chance to show off his ability on the European stage during his loan spell.
This time around, Idah started three of his ten appearances in the competition and there was plenty to like about his cameos for the Scottish giants.
Chalkboard
The 24-year-old marksman found the back of the net three times in those ten matches, despite only starting three matches. Only Maeda (four) scored more goals than him for Celtic, which illustrates how impressive that return is considering his lack of starts.
Idah ranked within the top 16% of forwards in the Champions League for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.79), and Rodgers may wonder whether or not he should have started him more often with that strike rate.
The former Norwich man, who scored twice against Premier League side Aston Villa, also provided a fantastic physical presence in the centre-forward position, winning 67% of his aerial battles. This shows that he made games difficult for centre-backs by dominating them in the air.
Celtic appear to have hit the jackpot with Idah, whose ability was once described as “incredible” by Rodgers, as his performances in the Champions League were similar to those of a star who is wanted by Real Madrid – Benjamin Sesko.
Adam Idah was similar to Benjamin Sesko this season
FBref lists the Slovenia international, who currently plays for RB Leipzig, as the most statistically similar player to the Irish centre-forward in the competition this season.
As you can see in the chart above, they performed incredibly similarly in the Champions League in almost every facet of the game, including their goalscoring, their ability in the air, and their passing.
Sesko ended his season in the competition with a return of four goals in six starts – eight appearances in total – for Leipzig and he won 54% of his aerial duels with opposition centre-backs.
Idah performing at a similar level to the 21-year-old in the Champions League suggests that Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Irishman, because the Leipzig star is an incredibly highly-rated striker prospect.
Sesko is reportedly valued at a staggering £83m by the Bundesliga side. Spanish giants Real Madrid, along with Bayern Munich and Arsenal, are also said to be interested in a summer swoop to sign the number nine to bolster their squad.
Starts
22
15
Goals
10
8
Minutes per goal
172
158
Conversion rate
22%
15%
Big chances created
4
5
Assists
4
0
Aerial duel success rate
54%
55%
As you can see in the table above, the two strikers have also performed at a fairly similar level in their respective domestic leagues, both scoring less than once every 180 minutes on average.
Idah, at 24, may not be the finished article yet or a guaranteed starter for Celtic, but the former Norwich man has shown more than enough promising signs with his displays across all competitions this season to suggest that the Hoops have hit the jackpot by signing him permanently.
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Rodgers is now tasked with helping the striker to fulfill his potential and eventually nail down a place as the first-choice centre-forward for Celtic moving forward.
He may not go one to become valued at £83m, or wanted by Real Madrid, like Sesko, but he does have the potential to be an excellent option for the Hoops in the Champions League with his finishing and physical qualities.
