Celtic have had more than their fair share of bruising evenings in the Champions League, so this will feel really good.
A first opening win in the competition at the 13th attempt - and their biggest margin of victory at this stage.
A solid foundation for the tougher tests to come.
Image source, SNS
Image source, SNS
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
It's back to domestic duty for Celtic on Sunday with a League Cup quarter-final at home to Falkirk.
Then there's a Premiership visit to St Johnstone before the next Champions League adventure, away to Borussia Dortmund.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Arne Engels got a goal and an assist on his Champions League debut and his manager is feeling very pleased about the impact made by his new g.
"It was a great identification by our recruitment team," said Brendan Rodgers of the 21-year-old midfielder. "We knew after last season what we wanted, what I wanted in the team, that was someone who has all the ideas that we want in of with the ball and technical and tactical ability.
"At this level you need physicality and running power.
"He's a dead ball specialist. You see his strike, the power in which he hits the ball.
"I'm really pleased for him, he showed really good composure."
Image source, SNSEngels scored Celtic's third goal from the penalty spot
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
A bit more from the media conference given by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
"We played well in the first half, got the early goal that we wanted, had other more opportunities to be more clinical, but I just felt we were taking one touch too many," he said.
"A couple of little positional changes, there was too much movement in the first half at times.
"You could see right from the off in the second half, the players were absolutely sensational. When we turned the screw, we were really, really difficult to play against.
"Mentality, hunger, greedy for more goals, greedy for the ball, everyone working right until the very end and we could've had more than five."
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Brendan Rodgers tells TNT Sports he is "so happy" after such a convincing victory.
"We were strong in the first half, but second half, wow," he says. "The greed of the players, the hunger, the mentality of the team, I am just so proud."
What was the half-time message?
"We reiterated we don't need to do anything special, we just have to be us," he says.
"We don't want to put the burden on anyone scoring, so sharing the goals is important. They're such a selfless group.
"We know it's a long road, but the first steps are important and the steps we made tonight were fantastic.
"The ers were sensational. We won the last game of last campaign and the first of this, so we're trying to make this place a fortress."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Sportsound
It's so good to see a Scottish team the more technical in a game. They looked faster and fitter and played the better football.
The overall performance level, how good Celtic looked, they were miles ahead of Slovan Bratislava.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Before picking up his player of the match award, opening goalscorer Liam Scales told TNT Sports that Celtic "want to have a good go" in the Champions League this time.
"The win, first and foremost, you don’t get results like that in the Champions League like that very often," he said.
"The format gives us more games, more chances to play at home and the fans can feel that, we can certainly feel that from them."
On his goal, a 17th minute header from an Arne Engels corner, he said modestly that it was the "perfect delivery".
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
A step up in quality awaits on matchday 2, with Celtic visiting Borussia Dortmund on 1 October.
The Germans got off to a great start themselves tonight with a 3-0 win away to Club Bruges.
Having finished fifth in the Bundesliga last time, they are currently in second place with seven points from their first three matches.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Losing head coach Vladimir Weiss quickly tells TNT Sports "it is not easy to play here," after that thumping defeat.
"Celtic have a lot of quality and pace and, when you play as high as we have to play, they take advantage," he says.
"The pressure from the people is amazing, it's is an amazing place to play.
"Celtic were very effective."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
All of these goals have had the stats boffins scrolling through the archives...
It's the first time Celtic have had five different scorers in a European Cup/Champions League match (excluding own goals) since September 1973 against TPS Turku.
Dixie Deans, George Connelly, Harry Hood, Jimmy Johnstone and Tommy Callaghan were on target against the Finns.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
"Everyone had great fun," Celtic captain Callum McGregor told TNT Sports. "We started the game well, got our goal and both teams were feeling each other out. We felt we'd done well at half-time but thought we had levels to go. Our start to the second half was outstanding.
"This is the next level for the group in of growth and development. We always felt like it was important to start well. Bratislava are a good team but the ers came here full of belief. We had to deliver and we did."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound
Every single player looked hungry and that's the making of a good team.
Keep that up, with the quality they showed tonight, and they'll be a threat to some of the bigger teams.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer on Sportsound
A really strong, dynamic and relentless performance.
They scored five, they could've had eight, and that would have been a fairer reflection of their dominance.
Outstanding night for them. Great confidence, hunger and edge collectively.
The collective is the story of the night.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Sportsound
The most impressive and enjoyable part is that in every department, Celtic have been better.
They have shown unbelievable appetite to go and chase the ball down, their work-rate has been phenomenal and, overall, the quality was so much higher than Slovan Bratislava.
FT: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Jane Lewis
BBC Scotland at Celtic Park
Celtic win an opening Champions League group match for the first time - and in some style too! Full of energy and intent, it was an impressive display.
They have shown what they are capable of at home and it will set them up nicely for the tougher challenges ahead.
Celtic get off to a fantastic start in the new-look Champions League.
Five different scorers in a one-sided contest.
Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah with the goals.
Image source, SNSCeltic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Only two minutes added. Maybe the officials are feeling a bit sorry for the Slovak side?
Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
As we enter the final minute of regulation time, Celtic Park is alive with song. Not many nipping off to beat the traffic.
Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Sportsound
Adam Idah stretches that backline and James Forrest has acres of space, all the time in the world to get the perfect weight of .
It's not the best angle, but he just slots it in.
Another wonderful goal.
Image source, SNSHighlights: Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Rampant Celtic overpowered Slovan Bratislava at a jubilant Celtic Park to win their opening Champions League game for the first time ever in impressive style.
On a rare occasion when they began a game in Europe's premier competition as favourites, Brendan Rodgers' side delivered an invigorating performance full of energy and poise.
Liam Scales headed in Arne Engels' corner to send the crowd wild on 17 minutes, and the Scottish champions created a flurry of other opportunities before the break but failed to embellish their score.
However, Kyogo Furuhashi diverted Nicolas Kuhn's fierce cross into the net barely two minutes into the second half, banishing any lingering nerves Celtic fans may have had about profligacy returning to bite them.
Further opportunities came and went before the outstanding Engels slotted in a third from the penalty spot after Alistair Johnston was caught by Danylo Ihnatenko.
Kevin Wimmer's brilliant finish with the outside of his left foot briefly punctured the party atmosphere as Slovan hit back, but normal service quickly resumed.
Reo Hatate teed up Daizen Maeda to re-establish Celtic's three-goal cushion, before James Forrest slipped through fellow substitute Adam Idah to round off a morale-boosting and much-needed victory.
The Celtic story in the Champions League in the last decade has been wearily familiar, with the storied Glasgow fortress of old fading into distant memory, replaced with tales of defensive woe and a stack of painful losses.
Rodgers part in that - despite continued domestic dominance - has also come under scrutiny, with the Northern Irishman managing just two wins as Celtic boss in 18 games in the Champions League prior to this one.
Here they were presented with a huge opportunity to win their opening game at the 13th attempt, against a Slovan side with less means and making their first appearance at this level.
Rodgers himself said this was the best he had ever felt coming into a European campaign after a strong summer window and start to the domestic season.
Liam Scales’ goal puts Celtic ahead
There was pressure, then, to make a mark and they duly did with a slick performance which provided too much for the Slovakian champions.
Record g Engels was hugely influential as Celtic ed with purpose and speed, as well as hounding their visitors every time they lost the ball.
Engels, Kyogo, and Maeda all could have netted hat-tricks such was Celtic's dominance as they repeatedly worked the ball neatly through midfield and down the sides of the porous Bratislava backline.
With trips to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, plus a home game against RB Leipzig to come, the tests will only get sterner from now.
However, this performance here re-ignited the European fire at Celtic Park and sets them up well to make a fist of reaching the play-off round in this revamped format, where a place in the top 24 keeps the campaign going.
Making their Champions League bow, this was a tough lesson for Slovan.
Vladimir Weiss' side had done to them what superior sides have done to Celtic over the years, as they struggled to cope with the intensity of their opponents with and without the ball.
They did have their moments, chiefly when former Tottenham midfielder Wimmer profited from Greg Taylor's skewed clearance to calmly find the top corner of Kasper Schmeichel's goal.
Vladimir Weiss, the pantomime villain of the night as a former Rangers forward, also had a great chance to level in the first half but - typically of Slovan in this game - he took too long to shoot and ended up having his effort blocked.
Overall, though, they looked well short of this level and will face a struggle to pick up points.
Joe Hart discusses Celtic's 5-1 victory
Celtic have won their first match of a Champions League campaign for the first time at the 13th attempt.
Slovan were the ninth side to concede more than five goals in their first Champions League game, after Feyenoord, Maccabi Haifa, Levski Sofia, Zurich, Sporting Braga, Rostov, Qarabag, and Royal Antwerp.
Celtic scored five goals in a single European Cup or Champions League match for the first time since September 1977 against Jeunesse Esch (6-1).
It's the first time they have had five different scorers in this competition since September 1973 against TPS Turku.
Having only won two of his first 23 Champions League matches (D6 L15), Rodgers has won both his last two.
Engels was only the second player to both score and assist a goal on his Champions League debut for Celtic, after Henrik Larsson against Juventus in September 2001.
Kasper Schmeichel was the first player aged 37 or above to appear for Celtic in the Champions League.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport s.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |
5 Sparta Prague | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
9 Sporting | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
13 Bologna | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
14 Shakhtar Donetsk | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
20 Benfica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
21 Brest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
22 Feyenoord | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
25 Red Star Belgrade | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
26 Sturm Graz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
27 Girona | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
|
28 PSV | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
|
29 Stuttgart | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| |
32 Club Brugge | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
33 Red Bull Salzburg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
34 Young Boys | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
35 Slovan Bratislava | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
|
36 Dinamo Zagreb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 0 |
|
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Vladimír Weiss
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Vladimír Weiss
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
UEFA Champions League
All competitions
Celtic and Slovan Bratislava have faced on two previous occasions, with both of those meetings coming in the quarter-final of the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup. The Scottish side won both legs by a 1-0 scoreline, before being eliminated in the semi-final by MTK Budapest (3-4 on aggregate).
Slovan Bratislava’s last victory over a British side in major European competition was in September 1975, beating Derby County 1-0 in the first round of the European Cup (first leg). Since then, they have played nine such matches and failed to win all of them (D2 L7), including defeats in each of the last five.
This will be the 28th edition of the European Cup that Celtic have been involved in, with Manchester United (30) being the only British team to appear in more (Liverpool also on 28, as of 2024-25).
Slovan Bratislava have qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, becoming just the fourth Slovakian side to play in the competition, after FC VSS Kosice in 1997/98, FC Petrzalka 1898 in 2005/06 and MSK Zilina in 2010/11 (all of whom went out at the group stage).
Celtic have never won their opening game of a UEFA Champions League campaign, drawing two and losing 10 of those. Indeed, they’ve not scored a goal in their opening match since 2006-07, in a 2-3 defeat away to Manchester United.
Slovakian teams have won just one of their 18 matches in the UEFA Champions League, with that sole win coming for FC Petrzalka 1898 in September 2005 away at FC Porto, a 3-2 win, when they were managed by current Slovan Bratislava manager Vladimír Weiss.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has won just 13% of his games in the UEFA Champions League (W3 D6 L15); the lowest win percentage of any manager with 20+ matches in the competition.
Celtic conceded the most goals of any side between the 75th and 90th minute (not including added time) in the UEFA Champions League last season (6), while also failing to score themselves in that period.
Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo averaged 86.5 high-intensity pressures per 90 in the UEFA Champions League last season; the most of any player in the tournament (min. 300 minutes played).
Captain Vladimír Weiss, son of the current Slovan Bratislava manager, has played eight times in the UEFA Champions League previously, featuring three times for Rangers in 2010-11 and five times for Olympiakos in 2013-14. He contributed to a goal on his debut for both clubs – an assist for Rangers vs Valencia and goal for Olympiakos vs PSG.
