Celtic were taught a lesson by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League as their winning run was halted in spectacular fashion with a 7-1 defeat.
There was cautious optimism for the Hoops after starting the season with nine straight victories in all competitions, but they could not cope with the threat of the Bundesliga side as simple mistakes proved costly.
Last season’s runners-up had not lost in 12 Champions League games at home and took an early lead. Captain Emre Can converted from the penalty spot after Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had brought down Jamie Gittens.
Daizen Maeda hit back almost instantly, but Karim Adeyemi netted a double with Serhou Guirassy making it four from the penalty spot after Arne Engels caught Adeyemi in the box.
The winger wrapped up his hat-trick before the break with Guirassy firing in his second and Dortmund’s sixth in the second half. Felix Nmecha came off the bench to add to the Scottish champions’ woes with a seventh.
Champions League nightmare for Celtic
Celtic have never won in Germany
Celtic’s heaviest European defeat remains a 7-0 loss in Barcelona during Rodgers’ first spell in charge and he also suffered a 7-1 reverse against Paris Saint-Germain and a 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.
The warning signs were evident from early on when Adeyemi had numerous options but could not find a pass or shot, before Can provided the opener in the seventh minute after Schmeichel felled Gittens when the winger had burst beyond Celtic’s back four.
Emre Can put Dortmund ahead from the penalty spot
The visitors were level inside two minutes when Maeda bundled home Engels’ cross but Dortmund regained the lead in the same timescale. Guirassy’s flick to the unmarked Julian Brandt left the Celtic back line vulnerable and Adeyemi ran on to the through ball and fired high into the net off the foot of Auston Trusty.
They continued to give the ball away and the chances kept coming. Adeyemi came close from 25 yards after Paulo Bernardo’s loose pass and Schmeichel saved from Pascal Gross before another wave of goals.
Daizen Maeda levelled for Celtic
Engels caught Adeyemi on the foot as the pair contested a bouncing ball and Guirassy did the damage from the 40th-minute penalty. Celtic shot themselves in the foot again two minutes later when Maeda overran the ball on the edge of his box and Adeyemi supplied another lethal finish.
Rodgers made a double substitution at the interval, putting Reo Hatate on for Bernardo and Alex Valle for Greg Taylor, who had been struggling with a calf issue.
Celtic were spared more punishment from Adeyemi when the 22-year-old Germany international was forced off by an injury just after the restart.
But the pattern of the game did not change and Schmeichel made saves from 18-year-old substitute Julien Duranville and Julian Ryerson.
Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi (left) celebrates with Serhou Guirassy after completing his hat-trick against Celtic
A poor cross from Nicolas Kuhn and a wayward shot from Hatate prevented Celtic from reducing the arrears before Guirassy turned Liam Scales one way and another before stabbing home the sixth in the 66th minute.
The Celtic fans kept singing and their team kept trying to reward them. Hatate came close from 22 yards and fellow sub Adam Idah could only head Valle’s cross into the arms of Gregor Kobel from close range.
The pain was not finished, though, and Nmecha drilled home the seventh in the 79th minute after the ball broke for the substitute in the box.
Schmeichel denied Duranville from a one-on-one to prevent a record European defeat and Celtic now need to regroup before taking on Atalanta in Italy in their next game in the tournament.
Rodgers: Top players punish you
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on TNT Sports:
“We are really disappointed with the result and performance. I don’t think I’ve been involved in a game where every mistake we made got punished. That’s the level. We could’ve been better with the ball.
“Going down early spooked us a little bit and we didn’t play with the same confidence. Second half, the guys showed great spirit and we had more possession of the ball, took more risks to create. Ultimately, we were beaten by the better team.
“We will always assess it and look back. We wanted to press but we wanted to be in balance, be tight and compact. But there were too many times we ran out at the wrong moment and time. We were not in a compact shape, and top players punish you.
“We needed to have longer spells with the ball, we were too rushed. We were looking for that killer pass too early and constantly giving the ball away.”
Wilson: Celtic lucky it was only seven
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Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson analyses their 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson on Sky Sports News:
“A reality check, a sobering evening for Celtic.
“It was probably a realistic glimpse of the different levels between the top sides in Europe compared to where Celtic are.
“Dortmund are a very good side but I think when Brendan Rodgers analyses the game he will see the amount of mistakes they made in possession. That’s unlike Celtic domestically because they have a large share of the ball and they usually make it count.
“Dortmund just let them make their own mistakes and as soon as they made one they pounced and took their chances.
“If I’m totally honest Celtic were lucky with 7-1. I can count four or five times Kasper Schmeichel pulled off some decent saves, so it could have been a lot worse.”
