KARIM ADEYEMI SCORED three goals in the first half as Borussia Dortmund handed Celtic a brutal Champions League reality check, winning 7-1 at home.
Celtic came into the match having won eight from eight in Scotland and Europe this season, but were blown off the park in Germany, Dortmund leading 5-1 at half-time.
By then, Emre Can had opened the scoring from the penalty spot while Adeyemi had already scored three goals and had won another spot kick, converted by Serhou Guirassy.
Adeyemi was a constant threat for the home side, popping up all over the pitch to bamboozle the Celtic defence.
The Germany forward was subbed off three minutes into the second half but the visitors were spared any respite, Guirassy scoring an excellent solo goal and Felix Nmecha netting a late strike.
The victory equalled Dortmund’s biggest ever Champions League win while leaving Celtic’s ambitions of impressing on the European stage in tatters.
Domestic league champions in 12 of the past 13 seasons, the European stage has long been the true test of Celtic’s quality — and it has often sent them crashing back to earth.
The supporters united to sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before kickoff, a staple of the pre-match ceremony at both Dortmund and Celtic, who share a long-lasting fan friendship.
When the game started however, the smoke from the Celtic fans’ pre-match pyrotechnics had barely cleared before Dortmund took the lead.
The lightning-fast Jamie Gittens was felled in the box by Kasper Schmeichel, bringing Can to the spot, the captain converting for his first goal in the competition since his Liverpool days in 2017.
Celtic swiftly hit back however, Can turning villain when he failed to clear a simple cross, allowing Daizen Maeda to equalise.
But hopes Celtic had of taking the game to Dortmund were short lived, Adeyemi latching onto a Julian Brandt pass to reclaim the lead.
While his first showcased his speed, his second illustrated his skill from range as he blasted in to the roof of the net from a tight angle on the left after 29 minutes.
The same man was at it again 11 minutes later, winning a penalty in a tussle with Arne Engels, which Guirassy slotted home with ease.
With Celtic looking longingly at the clock with half-time approaching, Adeyemi completed his hat trick, pouncing on a poor clearance and curling past Schmeichel.
Adeyemi was subbed off with injury just three minutes into the second half but Dortmund continued to turn the screws.
Guirassy scored a second after slaloming through the penalty box and Nmecha adding a seventh with 11 minutes remaining.
The big win means Dortmund finish the night atop the Champions League table while Celtic have fallen into the bottom half, despite a dominant 5-1 win over Bratislava in their opener.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan won their first match of this season’s revamped Champions League by sweeping aside Red Star Belgrade 4-0 at the San Siro.
A stunning free-kick from Hakan Calhanoglu opened the scoring in the 11th minute under a downpour, before Marko Arnautovic rolled in his first goal of the campaign on the hour.
Captain Lautaro Martinez added a third in the 71st minute and shortly afterwards won the penalty from which Iran forward Mehdi Taremi completed a comfortable home success.
Robert Lewandowski struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Young Boys 5-0.
The Catalan giants, five-time winners, made amends for their defeat by Monaco in their first match by thumping their Swiss visitors.
Raphinha and Inigo Martinez strikes as well as an own goal helped Hansi Flick’s side secure a sizeable victory and boost their goal difference significantly.
Earlier, French outsiders Brest made it two wins out of two at the start of their first ever Champions League campaign with a remarkable 4-0 victory away to Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday, while Stuttgart were held 1-1 by Sparta Prague.
Brest qualified for Europe for the first time in their history by finishing a best-ever third in Ligue 1 last season, and won 2-1 at home to Austrian champions Sturm Graz on their Champions League debut two weeks ago.
They improved on that result with a memorable performance as they faced Austrian opposition once again. Abdallah Sima scored twice while Mahdi Camara and Mathias Pereira Lage also found the target.
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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