A recap of Celtic’s record-breaking season, which saw the Hoops fighting on all four fronts.
Going into the 24/25 season, Celtic were building off the back of a double-winning season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side began the season with a preseason tour of the United States, where they played Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea, along with DC United. The Hoops had a fantastic winning all three of the games, putting them in good standing for the start of the new season.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CELTIC’S PRESEASON WIN OVER MAN CITY CREDIT CELTIC FC YOUTUBE
Celtic were also busy during the summer transfer window as they looked to bring in quality in the hope that they could make a serious dent in the new Champions League format.
Brendan Rodgers spoke at length throughout the previous season about the recruitment at Celtic after a poor summer window in his first season back, where only Paulo Bernardo and Yang-Hyun-Jun had some degree of impact on the starting eleven.
The Scottish Champions brought in English Premier League winner Kasper Schmeichel to replace Joe Hart, who retired. The club’s transfer record was also broken twice with the £9.5 million signing of striker Adam Idah, who returned permanently after a successful six-month loan. Young Belgian midfielder Arne Engels was brought in for £11 million from German Bundesliga outfit Augsburg. As for major outgoings, Matt O’Reilly went to Brighton for £25 million.
Celtic began the season on fire, going head-to-head with an Aberdeen side who were a surprise package in the first half of the season under Jimmy Thelin. With German winger Nicolas Kuhn going on a fine run of form.
Brendan Rodgers oversaw a fantastic first half of the season, where Celtic only dropped 4 points in a run which saw a 3-0 victory in the first derby of the season and a League Cup final victory over their fierce rivals, a victory which saw the Hoops become Scotland’s most successful club with 120 major honours.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CELTIC’S LEAGUE CUP VICTORY CREDIT PREMIER SPORTS YOUTUBE
The Bhoys also competed very well in the Champions League, where they finished in the top 24 after notable results, including a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. As a result of the top 24 finish, they qualified for the knockout playoff round and were drawn against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich.
As 2025 began, Celtic’s first league defeat was inflicted by Rangers at Ibrox as the Gers ran out 3-0 winners in a disappointing day for the champions.
As the January transfer window began, Celtic were looking to strengthen for the Champions League play-off round against Bayern and the treble pursuit. Celtic were dealt a major blow as their Japanese talisman Kyogo left for French side Rennes for £10 million. In terms of arrivals, Portuguese winger Jota returned to the club for £8 million just 18 months after leaving for £25 million.
Following Kyogo’s departure, Celtic did not bring in a replacement for the Japanese forward; however, Daizen Maeda stepped forward brilliantly into the striker role.
Celtic’s Champions League journey ended in heartbreaking fashion as they were minutes away from taking Bayern Munich to extra time in the tie; however, Alphonso Davies’ last-minute equaliser on the night knocked the Hoops out 2-1 on aggregate.
Celtic continued to tick off games in the second half of the season on the road to their 55th league title. The Bhoys got the title over the line after a 5-0 victory at Tannadice in April.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CELTIC’S VICTORY AT TANNADICE CREDIT SKY SPORTS YOUTUBE
Brendan Rodgers’ men finished the season with 92 points after a 1-1 draw against St Mirren at Celtic Park.
The league season had a fairy tale ending for one player, as James Forrest, who became Celtic’s most decorated player, overtaking the legendary Bobby Lennox, also scored his first goal of the season in the last minute of the game against St Mirren to keep his streak of scoring in sixteen consecutive seasons for Celtic.
CELTIC LIFTING THEIR 55TH LEAGUE TITLE
Celtic have the opportunity to cap off this superb season as they will compete for their ninth domestic treble in their history as they face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.
One Comment