An interesting stat emerged following Celtic’s disappointing 0-0 draw with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, as Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI was revealed to be the club’s oldest for a European fixture in almost two decades.
Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers during an interview before the match REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
With an average age of 28 years and 1 day, this was Celtic’s most experienced lineup in the Champions League since their 1-0 victory over Manchester United back in November 2006—a side that had an average age of 28 years and 272 days. [BBC]
This statistic underlines the blend of experience and maturity Rodgers has opted for as Celtic look to navigate the challenges of European football.
The decision to field a more seasoned lineup does show a shift in transfer strategy from when Ange Postevoglou was in charge. Under the Aussie, Celtic seemed to focus on bringing in young players who had some intern national experience ay some level. Rodgers hasn’t drastically changed from this, but players like Kuhn and Idah have been that extra year or two older when brought into Celtic.
It’s not like Celtic had an extremely old lineup last night, but players like Schmeichel, McGregor, and Kyogo do take up the average age.
In that November 2006 fixture against Manchester United, the experienced Celtic side famously triumphed thanks to a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick and a crucial penalty save from Artur Boruc.
Brendan Rodgers’ choice to field an older lineup does give that little more experience.
Experience plays a crucial role in the Champions League, where decision-making, composure, and tactical discipline often determine the outcome of tightly contested matches. The Dinamo Zagreb draw illustrated this well, with Celtic maintaining defensive organisation and focus to secure what could be a valuable point away from home.
While Celtic’s starting XI for this fixture leaned heavily on experience, the squad also contains younger talents who are being developed for the future. The likes of Arne Engels (21), who was on the bench for this one, Nicolas Kühn (24), and Paulo Bernardo (22) are steadily being integrated. Alex Valle is also a youngster but he didn’t get any minutes last night.
This balance between youth and experience is crucial for Rodgers.
As Celtic prepare for their final two league-stage fixtures—Young Boys at home and a challenging away trip to Aston Villa—Rodgers will likely continue to rely on his experienced core to guide the team through these decisive moments, as they look to secure qualification to the next phase of the competition.
