Out of Europe - Next Up, Celtic Face a Crucial Fortnight

With the Europa League behind them, Celtic are now staring down a season-defining two-week spell.

Come mid-March, they might be cruising in the title race with the momentum on their side and into the Scottish Cup last four.

Alternatively, they might find themselves further toiling to retain the championship and staring at a trophyless season.

The first stop is a trip to Ibrox on Sunday for a titanic league match, with Celtic behind Rangers by a couple of points having played one match less, with Hearts six points ahead of the title holders.

This is followed by a journey in midweek to Aberdeen, before returning to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup last eight and then hosting in-form and formidable Motherwell.

A half-dozen of their next seven fixtures are away from Celtic Park. This much-maligned Celtic group is about to be put under severe pressure after a chaotic first two-thirds of the season.

"There will be a lot of surprises and changes," stated a ex-Celtic player. "I wouldn't be surprised if the league goes to the final day. But they will have to do it over the coming handful of games. You have to be utterly consistent, otherwise they will not win the trophies."

Manager Faces Selection 'Conundrum'

Although the victory over Stuttgart being ultimately irrelevant in Celtic's quest to reach the knockout stages of the Europa League, it could yet prove important.

The manager changed a large number of his starting line-up and some of the fringe players delivered eye-catching performances to secure the club's first ever win in Germany.

Luke McCowan calmly slotted the winner after under half a minute and was a positive influence, while in the defence, Dane Murray stood out in a gutsy performance.

Murray in particular made his case to start alongside Liam Scales. A superb block stood out and he was assured when dealing with set-pieces.

But the most discussed performance was saved for second-choice goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo as he played his part in a first Celtic clean sheet in half a dozen games.

The established goalkeeper has been under heavy criticism after a series of errors. The Finnish was called upon and made six saves, in a display labeled "perfect" by a former Celtic midfielder.

A club goalkeeping great is of the opinion Sinisalo performed well enough to start against Rangers on Sunday.

"He had some excellent saves and looked composed when he had the ball and read the game well," he said. "It's a big decision to make at the weekend. Based on that showing, I would be giving him the nod. Give him a run in the team now."

The Celtic manager agreed that a number of individuals have given him "food for thought".

"[Sinisalo] was outstanding in the game, really well. He's the talk all round the dressing room," the manager commented. "He's got plenty of talent."

'Critical' Rangers Test Awaits

The other benefit of Celtic's win was that they showed they can grind out a victory.

Over the years, Celtic have arrived and naturally looked to control possession from the first whistle to the last against every Scottish rival.

But this more fragile side had looked increasingly vulnerable in recent times, regularly letting in more than one goal per game.

Without a victory at Ibrox in four attempts and considering Rangers have won their past 10 home matches, a show of resilience in Germany was timely.

Could Celtic take a slightly more pragmatic approach? Right now, it is all about winning.

"You don't have to have all the possession to win the game," noted an analyst. "You've got to work hard, defend well, get a bit of luck and have a good goalkeeper."

"Celtic have struggled for form this season, but they are hanging in there [in the league]. They still have a chance, with a match to spare. The players will take great confidence from tonight - the weekend will be a decisive one."