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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Tony Haggerty

Dalglish explains why Celtic must continue knocking on the Champions League door

Celtic may have taken zero points from two Champions League games so far, but Kenny Dalglish reckons the Scottish champions are about to boot the winning door in and grab the elusive win that the men in green and white desperately crave.

It has been well documented that a decade has passed since Celtic last tasted the sweet smell of success in a Champions League group stage match at Parkhead.

Two Group E matches have so far yielded no return in Europe's elite club competition. Although Dalglish reckons that there are some extenuating circumstances for Celtic in both games.

Dalglish believes that it was a definite case of poor refereeing against Feyenoord which saw Celtic reduced to nine men after Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm were given their marching orders during a 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam on Matchday one.

Rodgers's men then suffered wretched bad luck on matchday two against last season's Serie A runners-up Lazio when they conceded a 96th minute goal which handed the Italians a victory in Glasgow moments after Honduran winger Luis Palma thought he had won the contest with a fine low drive only for it to be ruled out by VAR.

Dalglish said: "I thought in Feyenoord the referee was out of order. I didn’t think it was one of his better performances.

"Celtic had a problem trying to get a team out for the first game at Feyenoord but, well, the referee made a strange decision [with the second yellow for Lagerbielke].

"They were a wee bit unlucky against Lazio but that’s the level you are playing at. To lose one right in the last minute was disappointing. Celtic also had a goal that was chopped off, he was offside but it’s a fraction.

"Daizen Maeda just touched it. If he misses it, then it will still go to the same place and Luis Palma still puts it in.

"That’s what it’s all about at Champions League level. You look at the recent Celtic Rangers game at Ibrox when they gave a foul for Kemar Roofe's goal.

"That decision could just as easily have gone the other way."

However, Dalglish insists that with Rodgers at the Celtic helm it is a matter of time before the tide turns in his former clubs' favour and that the fine margins which has saw them come a cropper all too often at this level will soon be converted into marginal gains.

The three times European Cup winner with Liverpool in 1978, 1981 and 1984 said: "It’s fine margins everywhere and Celtic have got no points from their first two matches. Celtic have somehow got to get themselves at least into the Europa League.

"Last year in the Champions League against Real Madrid they hit the post in the first half. The team were absolutely flying.

"They never had anything left come the hour and Real Madrid got the better of them. It was the same in Germany against RB Leipzig.

"Brendan will definitely get results. Whether they’ll be positive ones or not remains to be seen!

"If Celtic can last the hour in the game and still be in the contest then keep going with the quality that they have, eventually they are going to get a result. "Whether it will be this year or not, I don’t know but they have left themselves with a bit to do in terms of qualifying for the Europa League from this section."

Dalglish is also mindful of the fact that Celtic were struck with an injury-jinx to several central defenders prior to the commencement of the Champions League proper which hindered their preparations no end.

Although he admits that he rates on loan Liverpool stopper Nat Phillips and that he'll need to get used to playing for a side that totally dominate possession.

Dalglish said: "Celtic also had a couple of problems, with centre-back injuries before the Champions League group stage even started. It is not unusual to get injuries in the same position, it just seems to happen.

"It happens to everybody. The young boy Liam Scales has come in and he’s done well, and now Cameron Carter-Vickers is back, and Nat Phillips has come from Liverpool on loan.

"By the way, Phillips is no' bad. He is alright.

"The difficult thing with that will be that Celtic have 80 per cent possession in most of the games. He wouldn’t get that at Liverpool. As much as Liverpool can dominate a game, they don't do it by 80% possession too often. Phillips is a good defender, a threat in the air at set-pieces, as well."

***Kenny Dalglish was promoting Viaplay's live and exclusive coverage of Spain v Scotland. Viaplay is available to stream from viaplay.com or via your TV provider on Sky, Virgin TV and Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription.***

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