Sviatchenko sees chance of shutout against Germans
ERIK SVIATCHENKO will seek to secure Celtic’s first European group stage clean sheet for more than two years when Borussia Monchengladbach visit Parkhead on October 19.
The Dane has faced two of the most potent attacking units ever to suit up in the Champions League, conceding 10 goals to Barcelona and Manchester City.
Sviatchenko was quick to dust off the disappointment in the Nou Camp, however, and focus on the fine point acquired from the 3-3 thriller against the English Premier League leaders.
And with back-to-back ties against the Bundesliga side next, the defender hopes that he and Kolo Toure can minimise the damage caused to their ‘goals against’ column in Group C.
Sviatchenko said: ‘I know it’s a fact that we’ve conceded a lot of goals in the Champions League. It’s annoying when it’s goals out of nowhere and we could have prevented them.
‘Our campaign started against Man City, so I will try to forget the seven goals we conceded (against Barcelona) and move on. But, again, it’s all about the points, isn’t it?
‘Looking back, one point against those superstars is okay. We’re getting closer to what we need to do. This sets us up for Monchengladbach.
‘We go into that with the same mindset as we had against City. And we’ll try to get the clean sheet we want. But the City game wasn’t about that. It was about performance, how we worked together.’
As manager Brendan Rodgers has been carefully nursing Jozo Simunovic back into the side following summer surgery, Toure and Sviatchenko have been the favoured European pairing this season.
Celtic struggled to establish a steady partnership at the heart of defence under Ronny Deila last season. The 1-0 Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb in October 2014 is the last group phase shutout by the club.
With Dedryck Boyata returning to training, Rodgers will be keen to settle on a favoured partnership from his four options — and Sviatchenko would be content to work more alongside Toure.
When asked what he had gleaned from operating alongside the veteran, Sviatchenko said: ‘I’ve learned that his physicality is not that of a 35-year-old. It’s more the 24 years old that I am.
‘In these type of games, he’s so important. He gives that calmness, even though you cannot communicate in a crowd like that. It was impossible.
‘You’re losing your breath almost when you need to shout at someone. Our partnership is getting better and better. It’s good to have him beside me.’
A triumph of sorts on a frantic evening was preventing Sergio Aguero from scoring.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Moussa Dembele was announcing himself as Champions League class at the age of 20.
Sviatchenko said: ‘Moussa is a young guy but still he’s showing what it’s all about — that feeling that he can go through everyone. He showed that against City and it’s nice to see. ‘Speaking as a defender, his physicality and speed make him a nightmare. He’s dominant with the head. He’s where he needs to be in the box, so I think he can become one of the great players. ‘He links better and better with the team, too. He is a good player but he’s not complete yet. He still has things to improve on but that’s only a matter of time. ‘He works hard. He’s always improving his finishes after training. It’s paying off. ‘We have individuals that can cause a shock and cause problems for every team.’
City was less about a clean sheet than the performance