Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi netted a first-half hat-trick as last season’s runners-up thrashed Celtic 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, scoring five goals in the first 42 minutes.
The crushing result propelled Dortmund to the top of the 36-team Champions League table, boasting two wins from two matches and a goal difference of nine, while Celtic tumbled from third to 19th place.
“A painful experience, undoubtedly. Every mistake we made was severely punished. Before we realised it, we were 5-1 down. It was a sobering evening,” said Celtic captain Callum McGregor to TNT Sports.
The 80,000-strong crowd began their celebrations early at the Westfalenstadion, with captain Emre Can converting a penalty in the seventh minute after Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel brought down Jamie Gittens and received a booking.
Celtic briefly silenced the roaring Yellow Wall two minutes later when Daizen Maeda bundled in a cross from Arne Engels, but Adeyemi restored Dortmund’s lead with a deflected shot off Auston Trusty in the 11th minute.
The German winger made it 3-1 in the 29th minute, striking the ball into the top corner past a diving Schmeichel. He then earned a penalty in the 39th minute, which Serhou Guirassy converted before completing his hat-trick three minutes later. Adeyemi was substituted due to an injury shortly after halftime, applauding the fans as he exited. Guirassy netted his second goal of the night in the 66th minute, and second-half substitute Felix Nmecha finished the rout in the 79th minute. Celtic had Schmeichel to thank for keeping the scoreline to seven. “It was a fantastic night. Almost perfect for us. Everything went our way. It’s great to achieve such a significant win,” said Can. “We’ve made an excellent start, but there’s still a long journey ahead.”
The halftime dismantling reset Celtic’s goal difference to zero after their 5-1 thrashing of debutants Slovan Bratislava in their opening match last month, and things only deteriorated further. Guirassy’s second goal came after a poor clearance from Alistair Johnson, as Celtic, who arrived with some confidence of securing a good result, suffered due to weak passing and limited possession.
Adeyemi became the first Dortmund player to score a hat-trick in the first half of a European game since 2002. This incredible feat left the 4,000 Celtic fans who had travelled shell-shocked as the lightning-fast hosts tore their team apart.
“It was a fantastic night with seven goals scored. If we continue playing like this, we can reach the final again,” Adeyemi said after the match.
Both teams fielded unchanged lineups from their weekend domestic league games. Celtic, currently leading in Scotland, and Dortmund, who had won 3-0 against Club Brugge in their previous European match, were fifth in the Bundesliga.
“The early goal really hurt us and shook our confidence. When you give talented players space and time on the ball, they will punish you. And that’s exactly what they did,” McGregor admitted.
Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance, stating, “We always aimed to attack and it’s hard to beat us when we play like that. I’m extremely pleased with the effort we put in.”
Dortmund’s next game is against Real Madrid on October 22, which is a rematch of last year’s Wembley final. Meanwhile, Celtic will face Atalanta, last year’s Europa League champions, in Italy on October 23.
