Celtic ‘Gaining Confidence’ After Champions League Draw, Says Rodgers

Manager Brendan Rodgers stated that “Disappointment at draw shows Celtic progress,” despite Celtic missing an opportunity to end their seven-year wait for an away win in the Champions League. The team was held to a draw by a Dinamo Zagreb side, which was weakened by injuries, but Rodgers affirmed that Celtic is “gaining confidence” at this level of competition. The leaders of the Scottish Premiership, Celtic, maintained nearly 70% possession throughout the match. However, they found it difficult to generate significant scoring opportunities against the injury-affected Croatian team. Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan each attempted long-range shots that posed a threat, and Adam Idah’s effort was thwarted by a crucial last-ditch tackle. Despite these attempts, Celtic failed to score. Consequently, Celtic’s inability to win an away match in this competition persists, dating back to their victory over Anderlecht seven years prior, during Brendan Rodgers’ initial tenure as manager. Rodgers acknowledged, “Yes, we needed to do more.” He added, “It was an opportunity for us but you have to show a little bit more in those moments.” The manager highlighted a positive aspect, stating, “The positive is we’ve come away defensively strong and didn’t concede. We had great energy, good commitment, but I thought we lacked quality in the final third.” He concluded by noting, “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.” Celtic currently holds nine points. Their upcoming schedule includes a home fixture against Young Boys in January, followed by an away game at Aston Villa. Securing another victory would likely guarantee their advancement to the knockout round, though a lesser result could still see them progress to the next stage in February. Rodgers reiterated, “‘This group and team is gaining confidence at this level.'” He also provided an update on right-back Alistair Johnston, confirming that the hip issue which led to his early departure from the game did not appear to be excessively severe. He further commented, “‘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.'”