Brendan Rodgers has previewed Wednesday’s must-win Champions League clash at Celtic Park against Young Boys.
A win is likely to mathematically seal a place in the Champions League knockout play-offs, taking the Hoops to 12 points after 7 games.
With 10 points believed to be enough to secure a place in the top 24, Celtic are in a strong position.
It’s a pressured game midweek; however, the Hoops often thrive on this. To say it’s season-defining may seem a bit over the top, but it would be the first time since 2013 that Celtic have reached the next round of the Champions League. Given the larger new format with 36 teams, it would mark a successful European campaign for the first time in several years.
When asked ‘You know, if you win that game you’re pretty much guaranteed to progress. It must be exciting for the group isn’t it?’
Rodgers said: (The Celtic Way), “Yeah, because we’ve worked very well in the Champions League this season. We’ve had one game where we got punished heavily by a top-class team.
“So, okay, we have had to accept that and learn from it which the players have done but, especially, at home, we’ve been very good and away from home we’ve picked up some valuable points.
“So that puts us in a great position now with the crowd and the team and everyone synchronised on Wednesday it should be an incredible night and hopefully we can then get a performance and a result to match.”
It all comes down to this for Celtic after some spectacular results so far this season in the Champions League, including a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig at home, a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, and a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Atalanta in Bergamo. Wednesday is the chance to make history.
For all the criticism the Hoops have faced since the New Year, none of it will matter, to be honest, if Celtic win on Wednesday. It will represent serious progression in Europe, something the club has been craving for over the last decade.
Given Brendan Rodgers’ already impressive domestic success in his first spell at the club, the Irishman looks to add to his Celtic legacy by being the man to take Celtic up a gear and reclaim their place as one of Europe’s premier sides in the Champions League.
As the Irishman points out, the Celtic support will be vital to this come midweek. With the world-class atmosphere on European nights, the game against Young Boys will be no different.
