Celtic can 'break barrier' in Europe - Rodgers

Published on: 12 December 2023

Brendan Rodgers is targeting a second Champions League group win as Celtic managerChampions League: Celtic v FeyenoordVenue: Celtic Park, Glasgow Date: Wednesday, 13 December Kick-off: 20:00 GMTCoverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

Brendan Rodgers is confident Celtic can breach the "barrier" in Europe as they prepare to conclude their Champions League campaign.

Celtic host Feyenoord on Wednesday but will finish fourth in Group E behind the Dutch side regardless of the score.

Rodgers needs a win to better the three points secured in two previous Champions League campaigns at Celtic.

"It's about going and performing and playing to the level we know we can consistently," said Rodgers.

"We've done that in spells over the course of this competition, where we played some really high level football, and showed in those moments that we belong at the level.

"But you have consistently do that. And if we can ever do that consistently with quality that will give you a chance of breaking through. We will make that break through at some stage in the near future, tomorrow would be a great start.

"It's the very reason I came back here. I came back to lead the club domestically to hopefully continued success and also in to Europe, where we want to break this barrier and bridge this gap, which is a really tough challenge."

Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic opened Group E with a 2-0 defeat by Feyenoord in Rotterdam then lost at home to Lazio.

A draw at home to Atletico Madrid followed but successive losses to the Spaniards and Lazio ended the club's hopes of progress.

In his first spell as Celtic boss, Rodgers oversaw three draws in the 2016-17 Champions League group stage and one win the following season.

"These games are always about belief," he added. "When you have the ball it's about having that belief and that poise to look after the ball and attack with speed, but also to be able to play at tempo and that's something that we always aim to do.

"More importantly when the whistle goes, we go and attack the game and that's when we're at our best."

Team news

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda have been training but will not feature for Celtic with Liel Abada and Reo Hatate also remaining out.

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    Select formationConfirm teamWhat kind of shape are Feyenoord in?

    While Celtic's European hopes are very much dead in the water, Feyenoord's are alive and kicking.

    Since beating the Scottish champions on matchday one, the Dutch side have gone on to win nine and lose five of the following 14 games.

    Two of those defeats were to Atletico Madrid, one was at Lazio, and their most recent was a 2-1 loss to league leaders PSV Eindhoven, who sit top of the Dutch top flight with a staggering 15 wins from 15 league matches.

    Feyenoord sit second in the Eredivisie, 10 points behind PSV, so perhaps manager Arne Slot will use this as a chance to rotate as his side cannot move from third spot in Group E.

    What they said

    Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "They're a strong side, we saw their qualities when we played them.

    "Whatever team we put out we're putting a team out to win. At Celtic, there are no free games, every game is to win and even though, disappointedly, we don't have anything in Europe after Christmas, we're still playing for pride, so whatever team we put out we're playing for a result."

    Feyenoord manager Arne Slot: Arne Slot: "Celtic deserve more than the one point they have now. And you could call that good luck for us or bad luck for us because they would have got more points then tomorrow would have been playing for maybe Europa League qualification or also still for a Champions League position for the next round.

    "I do think if you look at the way Lazio is playing in their season in Italy it was an ideal moment for one of the two clubs either Celtic or us to go to the last 16."

    Match stats

      Celtic have lost their two previous competitive meetings with Feyenoord, losing 2-1 in the 1970 European Cup final and 2-0 on matchday one this season.Feyenoord have won seven of their 11 major European games against Scottish opposition (D2 L2) but are winless in their past three away from home (D1 L2) since a 1-0 win at St Mirren in the Uefa Cup in 1983.Celtic are winless in their past 12 home Champions League matches (D3 L9) - only FCSB (13 between 1996 and 2013) and Lille (13 between 2006 and 2021) have had longer home winless runs.Feyenoord have lost their past seven away Champions League matches, a run spanning the 2002-03, 2017-18 and 2023-24 seasons. No Dutch side has ever lost eight in a row, with Ajax also enduring a seven-game run between April 2003 and November 2004.Celtic have not won any of their past 15 games in the Champions League (D3 L12) - there have only been seven instances of a team having a longer run without a victory across the two competitions.Feyenoord can no longer qualify for the last 16, but will be looking to win three games in a single campaign for the first time since 1999-2000 (won against Celtic and Lazio this term).Celtic have attempted fewer shots than any other team in the Champions League this season (33), while they have also had the fewest shots from inside the box (22). Manchester City's Erling Haaland - the player with the most shots from inside the box (26) - has had more in the competition this term than Celtic have as a team (22).Rodgers won his first home Champions League match in September 2014 as Liverpool manager against Ludogorets but has won none of his past 10 (D3 L7). This is the longest home winless run by any manager in Champions League history.

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    Source: bbc.com

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