Caution from Brendan Rodgers over Celtic’s prospects in the Champions League is perfectly understandable. Thoroughbred racehorses know how to time their run. That Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Milan, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain started this week behind Celtic in the newfangled version of European football’s premier club competition is likely to prove a temporary impasse.
Celtic, despite a hugely promising start, were 15th before Tuesday evening’s fixtures. The Scottish champions have not altered their goal of reaching the playoff round. Seven points from a possible 12 has not changed aspirations that existed before a ball was kicked in anger.
Rodgers revelled in Celtic’s dismantling of RB Leipzig in the last round. Pre-match media duties for the subsequent Scottish Premiership stop at Kilmarnock were dominated by what had transpired days earlier. This was fair; Celtic have taken such public kickings for failures in Europe over recent years that they were entitled to purr in happier times. The performance against the German club was exceptional and a justification of the decision by Rodgers to return in 2023 for a second Celtic tenure.
A new Champions League week brings a new challenge. That Leipzig win, coupled with defensive excellence when holding Atalanta in Bergamo, means huge expectation surrounds Rodgers and his players as Club Brugge visit. Celtic are chasing a fourth home win in a row in European competition.
“It is another opportunity to show the power of Celtic Park,” Rodgers said. “I’ve got absolutely no doubt that every team and their supporters will feel that their football ground is really special and I respect that. But I know this club and I know the fans and I know the stadium, so I know how special it really is to play here and how difficult it can be.
“What you have to be able to do is then match that with the performance and that’s something that has really pleased me in these recent home games in the Champions League. It’s not just a tick box for players to come here and clubs to come and say they’ve played at Celtic Park but it’s to come and realise you’re going to be in for a game here.”
Rodgers is wise to exude calm about the level of opposition, including because Brugge will have taken note of what played out against Leipzig. Brugge were Europa League semi-finalists last season and saw off Aston Villa this month. For all that attention rightly surrounded the bizarre circumstances attached to the only goal of the game in Belgium, equally pertinent is that Villa could not score against Nicky Hayen’s team. Brugge warmed up for their trip to Glasgow with a 7-0 dismissal of Sint-Truidense. On paper, this looks an evenly matched fixture.
“I think the world probably thinks: ‘OK, you play really hard games against Atalanta and Leipzig then everything else is fine,’” Rodgers said. “But it’s the Champions League. Every game is a very, very tough game and this is another big examination for us.
“They are very well coached. They know their roles. The frontline is fast and dynamic. Simon [Mignolet], the goalkeeper I had at Liverpool, is a very experienced guy who’s very calm. So that mix of real young, hungry players and those who have had experience at the level.
“Teams like Club Brugge are not teams that are probably spoken about a lot, maybe in the same echelons of some of these other big names, but these are teams that you cannot underestimate. They’re very experienced at the level. They’ve got some fantastic players, a very good coach who’s stepped up and taken them and works them very, very well.”
Rodgers’s sentiment has to be placed in broader context of the 7-1 defeat in Dortmund, which threatened to derail this European campaign. Instead, recovery has been striking. “That failure is a part of the journey,” Rodgers said. “I said it at the time – and it probably looked a bit funny – but it can be that trampoline effect and it can bounce you back even higher. It’s how you deal with it, which is important. It’s all in how you react to the difficult moments. This team have shown that and proven that and I believe there’s still a lot more to come.”
Rodgers reported a fully fit squad after the 4-1 win against Hearts on Saturday. If that domestic dominance has been virtually taken for granted, progress on a loftier platform looks capable of defining this season.
