Brendan Rodgers’ Post-Match Comments on Celtic’s Goalless Draw Against Dinamo Zagreb

Following Celtic’s 0-0 draw against Dinamo Zagreb, manager Brendan Rodgers stated his team recognized the need for greater effort. Rodgers remarked, “The positive is we’ve come away from the game defensively strong and didn’t concede. I thought we lacked quality in the final third. The pitch was a little bit tricky.” He added, “We had great energy, good commitment. In the Champions League, if you get a clean sheet and take a point away from home and you’re not very happy, that shows how the team has progressed.” Addressing the team’s enhanced defensive solidity, Rodgers attributed it to diligence. He commented, “It’s hard work. My teams will always be referenced for their attacking play, but we’re good when we press in the right moments and have that mentality to not want to concede.” He further noted, “We had enough of the ball to create more opportunities, but to have that base collectively is very important.” Rodgers observed that the squad is developing confidence at this competitive level and that the players demonstrated full commitment. He acknowledged, “We needed to do more, but we know that. That’s cool. We know it was an opportunity for us, but you have to show that little bit more.” Regarding Alistair Johnston, who exited the match due to injury at half-time, Rodgers provided an update: “It was his hip flexor, nothing muscular, which is good.” He added, “There was no need to risk it and all being well that will settle down in the coming days.”