THE manager who will step into the away dugout at Parkhead on Wednesday night is the longest-serving in the Spanish top flight and the strikers who will lead the line for the visitors among the very best in the global game.
Yet, Brendan Rodgers will not be in the slightest bit daunted taking his place in the technical area next to Diego Simeone in midweek or feel that his Celtic players are in any way incapable of getting the result they need against Atletico Madrid to kickstart their Champions League campaign.
Rodgers has been missing key men to injury all season and feels he still needs, despite bringing in no fewer than 11 new recruits during the summer, to strengthen his squad further in forthcoming transfer windows in order for the Glasgow club to compete against the continent’s elite.
The Northern Irishman, though, is still looking forward to pitting his wits against his renowned Argentinian rival and attempting to lead the Scottish champions to their first group stage win in Europe’s premier club competition for 10 long years.
“It would be great to win,” he said. “It is a huge challenge. The level is a huge level and you need certain ingredients there. But we will go into every game in this competition and look to get the result. Wednesday will be no different.
“In the two games we have had so far (Celtic have lost to Feyenoord away and Lazio at home) we have been unfortunate not to have something on the board. But, of course, when you don’t it puts extra pressure on you in this game now. We want to give everything to get on the scoreboard.
“I still think there are some characteristics, profiles, that we need within the squad to make steps at this level. But the guys who are here are going to give everything that they possibly can.”
“He’s done absolutely brilliant,” he said. “His longevity in the game, to be at one club for that length of time, tells you everything in terms of his success.
"This will be the first time I've ever come across him. When we were going for the title at Liverpool he was going for the title at Atletico and that was when I first took a real notice of him. He's done a fantastic job there and he has some really good players. “He’s always had a bit of criticism because of the style, but he’ll only be concerned about winning. He’s shown over the course of time he can do that. He’s done a fantastic job. He’s a former player who’s gone in knowing what it means to the people and he’s brought them success.
“They had played 4-4-2 for a number of years under Diego then changed in this last little bit to 3-5-2. They’ll be well-organised, hard to beat. I think they’ve lost one game this season. They’ve beaten Real Madrid so that tells you the level of quality they have.
“They’ve got top-class players. They have Morata and Griezmann up front and a World Cup winner in midfield (Rodrigo de Paul). So it’s an outstanding team and it’ll be a big challenge for us.
“It’s clearly the highest level of technical ability in Europe so you have to find ways to give them problems. We have to be able to combat the clear strengths they have.”
Football fans in this country are acutely aware of the danger that £50m man Morata poses in the final third: the ex-Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid centre forward scored a stunning diving header for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifying win over Scotland in Seville last week.
“Morata is clearly a player who has got the talent,” said Rodgers. “He has been like that since he was a young player. He has never been able to stay in one place for a consistent period of time for whatever reason. But you can’t knock his talent and the clubs he has played at.
“He is quick, he has got good size, he has got good technique. He can drop short, he can run in behind. That partnership with him and Griezmann? They are two top, top players.”
“There is no doubt in the Lazio game that we deserved something,” he said. "I never felt in the second half, even more so when I watched the game back, that their winning goal was coming.
“But that is the nature of football at this level. If you make a mistake, players at this level have the quality to punish you within seconds. Unfortunately, we got punished.
“There is no doubt at this level you need you best players available to get through. Cameron Carter-Vickers is obviously a top centre half and he has been out. The other guys have been trying to position themselves to play there.
“But borne out of that has been Liam Scales. I have been very happy with Liam. Now he has got to show the consistency of the performances he has set over these last six weeks. Listen, we will give everything whatever team we have out there to see if we can get a result.”
Simeone can be an animated individual on the touchline at times and has fallen foul of authority on numerous occasions during his managerial career. Rodgers, in stark contrast, is always coolness personified during matches. But he knows that every coach has his own style and will not be in the slightest bit intimidated by the combustible South American.
"It's different types,” he said. “Listen, I’ve stood beside Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti. It makes no difference to me what they do. Yes, he (Simeone) is emotive on the side, you can see that. I'm different, I'm focused on the game. I'm a different personality to him. But whoever you are, it's about getting your team to play.
"The touchline dynamic is interesting. Some will say that a manager brings passion. I heard someone saying that about Mikel Arteta (the Arsenal manager), that he brings passion to his team. Then I heard a pundit saying that his team doesn't deal with situations in the game because he's so energetic on the side. "For me, what you do on the side of the pitch doesn't make that big a difference unless it's a tactical point in the game as you want your players focused on the pitch and you are there to support them and help them. I try to make sure the players know their job and have clarity so I am there to help them.”
