Celtic assumed the top spot in the Scottish Premiership table all on their own at the weekend with a convincing 4-1 victory over Hearts that moved them three points clear of early challengers Aberdeen and 11 ahead of rivals Rangers in the title race.

Now the focus of attention has switched to the Champions League as Brendan Rodgers's men go in search of the perfect 10. A win over Belgian champions Club Brugge would put the Irishman's side in dreamland on Matchday Five in the Champions League league phase and give the Scottish champions a massive shot in the arm and wonderful chance of reaching the knockout phase.

Celtic now need to show that the performance against RB Leipzig on Matchday Four was no fluke and a one-off.

The 51-year-old is determined to make Celtic a big noise in European football once again and the men in green and white could extend their unbeaten Champions League run at Parkhead to five matches.

Can Celtic take a step closer to achieving their Champions League dream of qualifying for the knockout stages? The Celtic Way’s Tony Haggerty and Ryan McGinlay each have their say…

Tony Haggerty

Celtic have set the bar in terms of the Champions League displays. The performance and result against RB Leipzig on Matchday Four was one for the ages. Rodgers even admitted that he had heard the RB Leipzig contest referred to as a 'generational game'. He was not wrong.

That's in the past and if Celtic can replicate those levels then they will be more than a match for their Belgian counterparts. A win would see Celtic edge closer to a play-off spot and possibly even automatic qualification for the last 16.

The Irishman went hard and strong at Tynecastle at the weekend and one would expect nothing less in the rarified atmosphere of Parkhead on a Champions League night.

Kasper Schmeichel will remain in situ between the sticks. He will be ably assisted by the excellent Alistair Johnston at right-back with an all-American central defensive pairing of Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers. The duo have started to bond and form a solid partnership of late. Greg Taylor usually gets the call for the bigger matches but he won't this time and Barcelona La Masia graduate Alex Valle will be asked to step up to the plate in the left-back berth just as he did in Bergamo against Atalanta. Valle's style can be more conducive to European football.

In midfield, captain Callum McGregor is the constant and he will be joined by Reo Hatate who will be asked to produce another majestic creative performance just as he did against the Germans. The dilemma will come in the engine room concerning the third midfielder - is it, Arne Engels or Paulo Bernardo? The Portuguese under-21 skipper will get the nod for this one despite £11 million man Engels having local knowledge of his previous employers. The Belgian has suffered a dip in form domestically but has produced his best on the Champions League stage. However, this may be a night when Celtic need to dig deep to secure a result. Bernardo possesses drive, commitment and an eye for a pass and a goal whenever he drives forward and is impacting games to the point where his form simply cannot be ignored.

The attack picks itself, despite Republic of Ireland striker Adam Idah serving notice that he can still score big goals when it matters with his brace at the weekend against the Jambos. He will come off the bench at some point but Kyogo Furihashi will lead the line. Either side of the Japanese talisman will be his compatriot Daizen Maeda on the left and the irresistible and irrepressible Nicolas Kuhn. The German winger took his tally to a ridiculous 22 goal contributions in Edinburgh (11 goals and 11 assists). Kuhn is King and he is the man for the big occasion thus far this season.

Celtic to win a tight one by the odd goal in three.

Tony's team: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle; McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate; Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda

Ryan McGinlay

Perhaps surprisingly, Celtic’s European campaign thus far has been very positive – but it could get even better if they do the business versus Club Brugge on Wednesday in Glasgow.

Perhaps the most even match of Celtic’s Champions League campaign on paper, Rodgers’ side will be looking to all but seal their place in the play-offs with a victory on the night – a result that many will expect the club to manage against the Belgian champions, despite their recent reputation.

Three points must be the aim – especially at home – which means the club need to name their strongest team to face Brugge. Because of this, a couple of changes will be made to the team that defeated Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday night in the capital.

In goals, Schmeichel will continue to ply his trade in between the sticks for Celtic, while three of the defence from four days ago will start in the shape of  Trusty and  Carter-Vickers at centre-back, as well as Johnston in the right-back slot. At left-back, however, there will be a change, as Alex Valle will replace Greg Taylor due to the latter’s poor first-half performance in Edinburgh. Valle gives Celtic a more expansive style with his running and dribbling on the left – he will get the nod ahead of the Scotland international.

In midfield, captain McGregor will sit at the base of the three, while Hatate will play as the furthest-forward middle-man. However, Arne Engels will have to make do with the bench for Wednesday’s proceedings, as Paulo Bernardo will finally get the start he has been waiting for against Brugge. Dig, commitment and drive are the orders of the day when it comes to Bernardo – Celtic will need that on the night to make it to 10 points in five games.

Up front, Kyogo will pip Idah to the number nine position, despite the latter’s two-goal showing versus Hearts off of the bench. The in-form Kuhn will play on the right, while Maeda will be called upon to bring both attacking drive and defensive grit when out of possession.

A tough game ahead, but I reckon Celtic will win by two clear goals – essentially booking their place in the play-offs as a result. Another big match at Celtic Park – you cannot beat it.

Ryan’s team: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle; McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate; Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda