Celtic secured their first three points in the UEFA Champions League group stage with the help of American defenders in the lineup. Cameron Carter-Vickers started and played 85 minutes in Brendan Rodgers’ backline, while Auston Trusty made his club and competition debut as Celtic defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in Glasgow. This victory was significant for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions under the new tournament format.
Liam Scales opened the scoring for the hosts after 17 minutes, setting the tone for Celtic’s dominant performance. Kyogo Furuhashi extended the lead to 2-0 in the 47th minute, followed by Arne Engels converting a penalty to make it 3-0 shortly after. Despite a goal from Kevin Wimmer for the visitors, Celtic added to their lead with goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah.
Trusty, who recently joined Celtic from Sheffield United, made his first appearance in the final five minutes of the match, contributing to the team’s victory. Carter-Vickers stood out with three duels won, three tackles made, and a match-high 102 passes completed.
Celtic is now on a seven-match winning streak heading into the League Cup quarterfinal against Falkirk on Sunday. In their upcoming UCL matches this fall, the SPFL leaders will face challenging trips to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta.
