Celtic begin their Champions League campaign at home to Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night; kick-off 8pm; "We come into every game and respect every single opponent we play," Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers said ahead of the game
Thursday 19 September 2024 11:02, UK
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has rubbished the "narrative" around Slovan Bratislava, insisting they are expecting a tough Champions League opener.
Rodgers was in confident mood ahead of the start of the revamped competition, also insisting the Hoops deserved more from last season's campaign which saw them finish bottom of Group E with four points.
Celtic host the Slovakian champions on Wednesday night and are favourites against the lowest-ranked team in the competition.
"We come into every game and respect every single opponent we play," Rodgers said.
"Obviously there will be a narrative around this game, which I totally get, but I look at Bratislava and they have had four ties and eight games to actually get to this stage.
"The amount of work and fighting spirit they've had to put in to reach this level you can never underestimate that.
"For some it might not be fashionable, there might be other teams with bigger histories and bigger clubs but we know it's a team we really have to respect.
"We also know we're playing at home. We're in a really good mood, playing well, been consistent and we just want to bring that energy to the stands and hopefully we can have a really good night.
"Every team that comes here thinks they're a big team. When you're a champion of your country, whatever that country is, then you believe you're a really good team and that's why you play in the Champions League."
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while the teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Rodgers believes Celtic are in a better position than last season to impress in Europe.
"If you look at the nuts and bolts of it, people will say you only got four points and then they will cry about that, and the season before and the season before," he added.
"I thought last year it was decisive moments, apart from the game away in Madrid where we lost a man early on and got punished by a team that got to the quarter-final.
"I think the other games we showed up well in.
"We could have won the Lazio game, should never have lost it, so that's a learning.
"Feyenoord at home we were good, we won the game. Away to Feyenoord we were good and right in it, then we concede and lost two men and that was a challenge.
"I thought if we could strengthen the squad we can take another step closer, and we've been able to do that.
"We've seen that through pre-season. We used the games against Man City and Chelsea as Champions League preparation games in how we tried to play and work.
"We arrive into it hopefully having learned from last season and know that, at this level, it is about the really small details.
"It's a great opportunity for us to test ourselves against the best teams and that's always the big challenge from a coaching and managing perspective."
The 36 teams form a single league, with each entrant playing eight different clubs, four at home and four away. Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw.
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while the teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.
The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated with no access to the Europa League.
