Karim Adeyemi netted a first-half hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund humiliated Celtic 7-1 in a ruthless Champions League performance on Tuesday. The German side overwhelmed their Scottish opponents, scoring five goals before half-time and handing Celtic a crushing reality check in European football.
Celtic entered the match with a perfect domestic and European record this season but were blown away by Dortmund’s pace and precision. Emre Can opened the scoring with a penalty before Adeyemi took centre stage, scoring three goals and winning another penalty, converted by Serhou Guirassy.
Adeyemi’s pace and movement caused havoc for the Celtic defence, and the forward was substituted early in the second half with a muscle injury. However, Dortmund showed no mercy, adding two more goals through Guirassy and Felix Nmecha to equal their biggest ever Champions League victory.
Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin praised the forward but urged him to show more consistency. Meanwhile, Celtic captain Callum McGregor admitted his team struggled after conceding quickly following Daizen Maeda’s equaliser.
This defeat dealt a severe blow to Celtic’s hopes of competing at the top level in Europe, a stage where they have often faltered despite dominating domestically.
Before kick-off, both sets of fans united to sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a symbol of the friendship between the two clubs. But Dortmund wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Jamie Gittens winning a penalty in the first minute after being fouled by Kasper Schmeichel, which Emre Can confidently converted.
Celtic responded quickly when Can failed to clear a cross, allowing Maeda to equalise, but their optimism was short-lived. Adeyemi put Dortmund back in the lead minutes later, latching onto a pass from Julian Brandt. His second goal was a powerful strike into the roof of the net, and he completed his hat-trick just before half-time after winning a penalty.
Although Adeyemi was forced off with an injury early in the second half, Guirassy and Nmecha added to Celtic’s misery with two more goals, sealing a night of utter dominance for Dortmund, who now top the Champions League table.
Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirmed Adeyemi suffered a thigh injury, but the forward remained optimistic.
