Celtic have unfortunately become this week's whipping boys in the UEFA Champions League after losing 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday night.

It's the third time Celtic have conceded seven goals during a European tie across Brendan Rodgers' two tenures, with Dortmund joining Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain on that unwanted list. 

The Hoops were punished for several mistakes and couldn't deny the Bundesliga side from continually threatening their goal. 

Analysing the match on Sky Sports News, former Celtic full-back Mark Wilson described the defeat as a "reality check".

Rodgers has repeatedly insisted that his squad are capable of going toe-to-toe with the continent's very best.

However on the latest evidence, perhaps the Glasgow powerhouse are still miles away from where their manager wants them to be. 

"You could describe it as a reality check, a sobering evening probably for Celtic," Wilson commented. 

"Realistically it's a glimpse of the different levels of side's at the top tier of Europe compared to where Celtic are at this moment in time. That's what leads to score lines like tonight. 

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"Dortmund are a very good side, very clinical, but I think when Brendan Rodgers analyses the game, he will be unhappy at the amount of mistakes his side made in possession. 

"That's unlike Celtic because obviously domestically they have a large share of the ball and usually make it count, but Dortmund just let them make their own mistakes. As soon as they made a mistake Dortmund pounced, and they took their chance.

"If I'm totally honest, it finishes 7-1 but I can count four or five times Kasper Schmeichel pulled off some decent saves, so it could've been a lot worse for Celtic."

(Image: PA Wire via DPA) Arsenal invincible Martin Keown also crucified Rodgers' approach - claiming the Celtic gaffer can no longer pretend his team are capable of being among Europe's elite.

"You can't keep playing the same way," he said on the TNT Sports Goals Show. "They didn't adjust. In their own domestic league they are just too good for everyone else and they are not used to being out of possession.

"It's about learning from this but the manager is just as culpable as the players. You don't win on your own and take all the credit for the wins in the domestic league and everyone is saying 'Brendan is a fantastic manager' - it's a joint effort. They are equally to blame here. The manager needs to sort this out with the players.

"You can't go toe-to-toe with some of these European greats. They played in final of the Champions League last year. You have got to adjust. You can't pretend there is not a difference in quality and that's what happened tonight."

(Image: PA Wire via DPA) Meanwhile, ex-Celtic 'keeper Pat Bonner highlighted the sorry fact that it could've been a even larger deficit had Kasper Schmeichel not have pulled off some important saves.

"Reality kicks in," he told BBC Sportsound. "A tough night to forget. Embarrassing, to say the least. It all comes down to the structure and the way Celtic set up defensively. And the mistakes. The mistakes that were then compounded by the nervousness. 

"Don't forget, Schmeichel must have had about six very good saves. And I didn't count them all."

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Celtic legend Chris Sutton is usually a huge admirer of Rodgers, but even he couldn't help but question his old team's set-up and the inability to adapt when the outcome clearly wasn't going to go their way.

He wrote on X: "Celtic wanted to go toe to toe…good to be positive but there comes a time when you have to be a bit streetwise and understand levels. Throwing lots of bodies forward when you’re 7-1 down seemed a bit naive…a bit like Madrid…way too open and ruthlessly exploited…"

(Image: PA Wire via DPA)