“The main thing for us now is the league,” Luke McCowan
· Yahoo Sports
Luke McCowan insists Celtic are a match for anyone in Scotland when they reach their top level, as he expressed confidence ahead of Sunday’s decisive trip to Ibrox following his match-winning contribution in Stuttgart last night…
Visit fish-roadgame.com for more information.
Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
The midfielder’s strike inside 30 seconds secured a 1-0 victory on the night, even though Celtic were knocked out of the Europa League after a 4-2 aggregate defeat.
A determined defensive effort ensured the visitors ended their campaign in Germany on a positive note.
The former Dundee player believes that the standards shown in that performance, which delivered the club’s first ever win in Germany, should be enough to trouble any domestic opponent. He is now keen for the team to replicate that intensity against theRangers this weekend.
Luke McCowan of Celtic reacts during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
Speaking via Daily Record, McCowan said: “We need to go there with the confidence from tonight. But we know it’s going to be a hectic atmosphere, a lot of pressure on the game for both teams especially.
“But we just know we’ve got enough in that dressing room and we need to go in with the right attitude and the right hunger. The main thing for us now is the league. We have to put full focus to Sunday and the games remaining. It’s nice to have that kind of memento of not winning in Germany before, but that won’t matter at the end of the season. We want the title in our hands. We just need to keep that in mind.
“I guess you want a good performance that can lead to a good result. We know if we’re at it, no team in that league touches us. We need to have that mentality going in. As Celtic players, we need to know we’re champions still until we lose it. Right now, we’ve not lost it, so we need to have that mentality.”
McCowan also hopes his impressive individual display will be enough to secure him a place in the starting lineup for the clash at Ibrox.
“I hope so,”he said. “That’s what I’ve got to do and that’s my job, because as a squad rotation player yourself, you need to be chapping on the door as constantly as you can. Especially if the team isn’t performing and you’re not within that.”
“You need to do your best to get yourself in, but you don’t get yourself in with your words. It’s actions that matter. It’s goals and assists and good performances. I hope I’ve done that tonight.”
“That was my first start in a wee while as well, and I’ve got that ability to go and play at this level. I just need to go and show that with games like this. Going and scoring obviously helps my case, but as I said, it will not matter nothing if we don’t go there on Sunday and get a good performance in that leads to good results.”
“I think it’s all about the reaction, really. We obviously had a disappointing result in performance at the weekend, and you had to show up tonight with, as I said, the right attitude, even though the game was an aggregate 4-1 down.”
Conor Spence
Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order
More Stories / Latest News
“The main thing for us now is the league,” Luke McCowan
VfB Stuttgart 0-1 Celtic – Spirited performance on historic night in Germany
Celtic decision not to sign winger justified after Jocelin Ta Bi update