By Ethan Barlow

Celtic host Belgian champions Club Brugge on Wednesday night under the Celtic Park Champions League lights knowing a win will all but secure their place in the play-off round of this season’s debuting format, with three matchdays to spare.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are favourites to win their fourth home European victory on the bounce, but their opponents refresh a reoccurring issue within the Scottish champions’ ranks.

Like Celtic, Club Brugge boast a financial superiority in their domestic league. Blauw-Zwart (Blue-Black) have won six of their 19 Juliper League titles across the last 10 years in comparison to Celtic’s nine league successes in that time. Brugge advanced to the knockouts of the competition in 22/23 whereas Celtic’s last group stage progression was 10 years previous in 12/13, but the glaring issue between the sides lies in Nicky Hayen’s back four, made up entirely of youth products.

23-year-old left-back Maxim De Cuyper has attracted attention across Europe after impressing for his club and the Belgian national team. Fellow full-back Joaquin Seys is enjoying an impressive breakthrough season at just 19, still awaiting a senior international call-up to join De Cuyper. Both players have nailed down starting positions in Hayen’s best eleven. By no means an up and coming star, 31-year-old central defender Brandon Mechele is in his 13th season with the club. The former Belgium international is likely to be partnered by one of two fellow Club NXT graduates, 19-year-old Jorne Spileers or Ecuador international Joel Ordonez, who signed in 2022 before playing a season in the youth squad.

Homegrown Talent

Club Brugge have an array of homegrown talent littered through their ranks beyond the players mentioned, including: Kyriani Sabbe (defender), Romeo Vermant (forward) and Chemsdine Talbi (forward). Even Celtic have benefitted off the talent produced in North Belgium, by the way of club record signing Arne Engels, via Augsburg.

In four of the last six seasons, Club Brugge’s player sales have excessed €50 million. Celtic have never achieved this feet and have only handed a start to one academy product in the Champions League, this season. Club captain, Callum McGregor’s starts mean Celtic lie ahead of just three of the 36 clubs who haven’t handed any starts to homegrown talent: Inter, Leipzig and Bologna.

Celtic may get the better of the Belgians on the night but they could take some tips on how to run a youth system with the Scottish Champions’ falling way below par.