Out of Europe - Next Up, Celtic Confront a Pivotal Two-Week Period

With the Europa League behind them, Celtic now face a season-defining two-week spell.

Come mid-March, they could be motoring in the league with the wind at their backs and into the Scottish Cup semi-finals.

Alternatively, they might find themselves still struggling to defend their title and staring at a silverware-free campaign.

The first stop is a trip to Ibrox on Sunday for a titanic league clash, with Celtic trailing Rangers by a couple of points having played one match fewer, with Hearts six clear of the title holders.

Then it is a journey in midweek to Aberdeen, before heading back to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup last eight and then hosting in-form and formidable Motherwell.

A half-dozen of their next seven matches are away from Celtic Park. This much-maligned Celtic team is set to be put under severe pressure after a chaotic opening months of the season.

"We can expect a lot of surprises and changes," stated a former Celtic defender. "I wouldn't be surprised if the league goes to the final day. But they will have to do it over the coming handful of games. You have to be relentless, otherwise they will not win the trophies."

Manager Faces Selection 'Dilemma'

Despite the 1-0 win over Stuttgart proving moot in Celtic's quest to reach the last 16 of the Europa League, it could still turn out to be significant.

The manager rotated eight of his first eleven and some of the squad members delivered impressive performances to secure the club's first ever win in Germany.

Luke McCowan stroked home the decisive goal after just 28 seconds and played positively, while in the back four, Dane Murray stood out in a resilient performance.

Murray in particular stated his claim to start alongside Liam Scales. One magnificent defensive intervention was notable and he was assured when dealing with set-pieces.

But the most talked-about performance was saved for back-up goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo as he played his part in a first Celtic clean sheet in half a dozen games.

The first-choice goalkeeper has faced heavy criticism after a string of mistakes. The Finnish was called upon and made several crucial stops, in a display labeled "perfect" by a former Celtic midfielder.

A former Celtic goalkeeper is of the opinion Sinisalo did enough to start against Rangers on Sunday.

"He had some excellent saves and looked composed when he had the ball and had good anticipation," he said. "The manager has a tough call to make at the weekend. On that performance, I would be starting him. Give him a run in the team now."

The Celtic manager agreed that several players have given him "food for thought".

"[Sinisalo] was outstanding in the game, exceptionally. That's the name all round the dressing room," the manager said. "He's got plenty of talent."

'Pivotal' Rangers Challenge Lies Ahead

The additional positive of Celtic's win was that they showed they can grind out a victory.

Historically, Celtic have pitched up and naturally looked to control possession from start to finish against every domestic opponent.

But this more fragile side had looked more and more susceptible in recent times, often letting in more than one goal per game.

Having not won at Ibrox in four attempts and given Rangers have won their last ten home matches, a demonstration of toughness in Germany was well-timed.

Might Celtic take a slightly more pragmatic approach? Right now, it is solely concerning winning.

"You don't need to have all the possession to win the game," noted an pundit. "You've got to put in the effort, be solid at the back, get a slice of fortune and have a good goalkeeper."

"Celtic have struggled for form this season, but they are still in contention [in the league]. They still have a chance, with a game in hand. The players will pick up great confidence from tonight - the weekend will be a critical one."