Brendan Rodgers Commends Celtic’s “Charisma and Courage” Following Champions League Comeback

Brendan Rodgers commended his Celtic squad for their “charisma and courage” following their comeback victory against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, where they overcame an early deficit. RB Leipzig, currently holding the second position in the German Bundesliga, initially took the lead at a lively Celtic Park. However, a brace from Nicolas Kuhn put the home side ahead by halftime, with Reo Hatate securing the win. When questioned if this triumph, which positions the Scottish champions within reach of a play-off round spot, surpassed his previous European achievements with the club, Rodgers responded: “Yeah, I think so, in level of opponent.” He further elaborated: “It wasn’t just the result, it was the performance. We played the game with great charisma and confidence and showed the courage in our pressing.” He concluded: “To play to that level, that would definitely be the best one.” Following an emphatic win against Slovan Bratislava, a significant defeat to Borussia Dortmund, and a hard-fought draw with Atalanta, this latest victory brings Celtic’s total to seven points at the halfway mark of their campaign. Their upcoming schedule includes hosting Club Brugge, an away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb, a home game versus Young Boys, and an away match to conclude against Aston Villa. Celtic presently occupies 13th place in the 36-team standings, sharing the same points total as Manchester City, who are in sixth. A top-eight position guarantees an automatic spot in the last-16, while finishing between ninth and 24th would secure a place in the play-off round. Based on analysis provided by Opta, accumulating 16 points would nearly guarantee a top-eight finish, and 10 points would be sufficient for a play-off position. Rodgers stated: “We have to stay humble in our work, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.” He continued: “It gives us a real nice confidence. We’ve discovered in the last two games we can be really competitive. “If you told us after the Dortmund game we’d have four points from the next two games, I don’t think too many people would have said we would have done that.” He concluded by saying: “It’s a great next step and gives us great encouragement to go and make the play-off stage, but there is still so much to do.” James McFadden, a former Scotland international, commented on Sportsound: “It was outstanding. Celtic had a spell in the first half where, in the past, they might not have been able to stand up to the challenge and pressure.” He added: “They came through that, totally dominated the second half. Celtic stuck with how they want to play. They’ve not changed and kept their belief.” Joe Hart, a former goalkeeper for Celtic, remarked on TNT Sports: “It was a really, really, really great European performance.” He further noted: “The quality they showed throughout the game… Callum McGregor ran the show while Nicolas Kuhn sparkled.” Pat Nevin, another former Scotland international, stated on Sportsound: “Give Kuhn his moment, but give every player their moment. They were all eights and nines. And nine-and-a-half from McGregor, he was extraordinary.” He then asserted: “Celtic are a better team than RB Leipzig. It’s not a one-off, or a bit of luck. Celtic, player for player, are better than RB Leipzig. I’m not mildly surprised by this.” Neil Lennon, who previously played for and managed Celtic, commented on TNT Sports: “This was one of the best home performances from a Celtic side since Martin O’Neill’s days. A joy to watch.”