4 days ago
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Brendan Rodgers hailed the "greed, hunger and mentality" of his Celtic players arsenic they began their Champions League run with an awesome 5-1 dismantling of Slovakian broadside Slovan Bratislava.
Liam Scales' first-half header acceptable the Scottish champions connected their mode to a archetypal opening-night triumph successful the competition, earlier Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah netted aft the interruption to seal victory.
The past clip Celtic had 5 antithetic scorers successful a European Cup oregon Champions League lucifer was 51 years agone against TPS Turku.
"We were beardown successful the archetypal half, but 2nd half, wow," Rodgers said. "The greed of the players, the hunger, the mentality of the team, I americium conscionable truthful proud.
"We played good successful the archetypal half, got the aboriginal goal, had different much opportunities to beryllium much clinical, but I conscionable felt we were taking 1 interaction excessively many.
"We reiterated we don't request to bash thing special, we conscionable person to beryllium us. Just don't overthink it.
"The razzmatazz astir the Champions League is amazing, but we are playing a squad who are defending successful 4-4-2, which we volition play against present successful the league. OK it's antithetic tiers, but it's inactive the aforesaid idea.
"You could spot close from the disconnected successful the 2nd half, the players were perfectly sensational. We could've had much than five."
It was a splendid commencement to the expanded 36-team, 1 league, tourney for Celtic, who volition play 7 further matches.
Borussia Dortmund are up adjacent successful Germany successful 2 weeks, and volition airs a acold stiffer test, earlier matches against RB Leipzig, Club Brugge and Young Boys successful Glasgow and trips to look Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa.
A top-eight decorativeness would gain Celtic an automatic last-16 place, with a play-off the prize for squad who extremity up betwixt ninth and 24th place.
According to investigation by Opta, 16 points would astir surely unafraid a top-eight spot and 10 would beryllium bully capable for a play-off spot.
"Our adjacent 3 games are pugnacious but exciting," Rodgers added.
"We cognize it's a agelong road, but the archetypal steps are important and the steps we made contiguous were fantastic.
"The supporters were sensational. We won the past crippled of past run and the archetypal of this, truthful we're trying to marque this spot a fortress."
Former Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart: “To commencement however they did, that energy, that passionateness from the crowd, the players, Brendan Rodgers… an unthinkable game.
“They volition person seen this arsenic an opportunity, but Celtic haven’t needfully taken those opportunities successful caller times.
“From the archetypal moment, they were connected the beforehand foot. Slovan Bratislava indispensable person thought what has deed us?"
Former Scotland planetary James McFadden: "It's truthful bully to spot a Scottish squad the much method successful a game. They looked faster and fitter and played the amended football.
"The wide show level, however bully Celtic looked, they were miles ahead."
Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner: "Every azygous subordinate looked bare and that's the making of a bully team.
"Keep that up, with the prime they showed tonight, and they'll beryllium a menace to immoderate of the bigger teams."
BBC Scotland main sports writer Tom English: "It was a truly strong, dynamic and relentless performance.
"They scored five, they could've had eight, and that would person been a fairer reflection of their dominance.
"Great confidence, hunger and borderline collectively. That is the communicative of the night."
Celtic fans, however impressed were you by your side? Has it boosted your assurance for the run to come? Or bash the tougher tests to travel springiness you the fear?
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