Rodgers calls for brave Bhoys

Head coach Brendan Rodgers has told his Celtic players to try and play on the front foot when they take on Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.  The Bhoys suffered a 7-0 rout at the hands of Barca in the Camp Nou in their opening Group C game just over two months ago. 

We showed them too much respect and the scoreline was bitterly disappointing.

Brendan Rodgers

Celtic have since drawn two of their next three games and Rodgers is trying to look on the bright side ahead of the arrival of the Catalan giants in Glasgow.

He told reporters: “We have to fight and ensure we do everything we can to try to stop them, but it’s not easy.

“You go into the game having to think about defensive organisation. They are a team of quality, that can play through pressure and we have to play how we are best – on the front foot.

“You also need a little bit of luck as well and when the opportunities come, you can take them.”

Celtic are 5/1 to claim a draw on Wednesday, while Barca can be backed at 9/1 to win 3-1 and are 10/3 to go all the way and win the Champions League this season.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is hoping that lessons learned from the thrashing in Spain in September will count for something on Wednesday, adding: “We showed them too much respect and the scoreline was bitterly disappointing at the time.

“There were many aspects we learnt from, like being brave and the players have shown they have learned from that. It was a tough game against a top-class, world-class team.”

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Source: Bet365