Out of Europe - Now, Celtic Face a Pivotal Fortnight

With the Europa League behind them, Celtic now face a campaign-altering 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 could be further toiling to retain the championship and facing the prospect of a silverware-free campaign.

The first stop is Ibrox on Sunday for a titanic league clash, with Celtic trailing Rangers by a couple of points after playing one match fewer, with Hearts six clear of the champions.

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

Six of their next seven matches are away from Celtic Park. This often-criticized Celtic squad is about to be stress-tested after a chaotic first two-thirds of the season.

"There will be a lot of surprises and changes," stated a ex-Celtic player. "It wouldn't shock me if the league is decided on the final day. But they will have to do it over the coming handful of games. You have to be relentless, otherwise they won't take the trophies."

O'Neill Now Has Selection 'Conundrum'

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

The manager rotated a large number of his starting line-up and some of the squad members put in impressive displays to secure the club's maiden win in Germany.

Luke McCowan calmly slotted the decisive goal after under half a minute and played positively, while in the back four, several defenders stood out in a resilient performance.

Murray in particular stated his claim to start next to Liam Scales. One magnificent defensive intervention was notable and he was confident when defending corners.

But the most discussed display was saved for second-choice goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo as he contributed significantly in a long-awaited shutout in half a dozen games.

The established goalkeeper has faced heavy criticism after a series of errors. The Finnish was called upon and made several crucial stops, in a display described as "flawless" by a former Celtic midfielder.

A former Celtic goalkeeper believes Sinisalo performed well 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 giving him the nod. Let him keep his place in the team now."

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

"[Sinisalo] played brilliantly in the game, really well. He's the talk all round the dressing room," the manager said. "He's got plenty of talent."

'Pivotal' Rangers Test Lies Ahead

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

Historically, Celtic have pitched up and naturally looked to dominate the ball from start to finish against every domestic opponent.

But this less robust side had looked more and more susceptible this year, regularly letting in more than one goal per game.

Without a victory at Ibrox in four attempts and considering Rangers have won their past 10 home matches, a show of resilience in Germany was well-timed.

Could Celtic take a somewhat more cautious approach? At this moment, it is solely concerning winning.

"You don't need to have all the possession to win the game," observed an pundit. "You've got to work hard, be solid at the back, get a bit of luck and have a good goalkeeper."

"Celtic have not played well 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 decisive one."