What Brugge boss has heard about Celtic’s expectations

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·27. November 2024

What Brugge boss has heard about Celtic’s expectations

Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen waxed lyrical about Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers when speaking to the media, including The Celtic Star in yesterday evening’s pre-match media conference ahead of tonight’s Champions League encounter between Celtic and Club Brugge at Paradise…

Celtic v Club Brugge – UEFA Champions League Nicky Hayen, head coach of Club Brugge pictured during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Club Brugge on November 26, 2024. Photo Peter De Voecht

Hayen’s men travel to Glasgow in a solid position of their own in this season’s newly revamped Champions League table. Accumulating six points from four games, Club Brugge sit just above the top 24 threshold in 23rd spot.

OneFootball Videos

However, Celtic’s opposition are trailing on the domestic front despite an emphatic 7-0 thumping of St.Truiden in the Belgian capital on Saturday afternoon. Club Brugge sit 2nd place in the Pro-League, six points off league leaders Genk.

Nicky Hayen, head coach of Club Brugge pictured at the Ostend-Bruges airport before departure for the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Club Brugge on November 26, 2024. Photo Peter De Voecht

Their starman, undoubtedly, 22 year-old Greek winger Christian Tzolis struck four times in 48 minutes in Brugge’s biggest margin of victory since April 2023.

Sealing three points over Sturm Graz in Austria on matchday two, and then Aston Villa at Jan Breydel Stadium three weeks ago, Club Brugge have put themselves in a credible spot at the halfway mark of the Champions League phase. With fixtures against Sporting, Juventus and Manchester City looming, the Belgian champions will see the much-anticipated tussle with Celtic as a points-gainer.

Meanwhile, Celtic themselves are tantalisingly close of securing double digit games in Europe’s elite club competition. A fourth consecutive home victory for Brendan Rodgers side would guarantee a knockout playoff round tie in February against one of the Champions League’s big hitters.

Nicky Hayen, head coach of Club Brugge arrives at the press during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Club Brugge on November 26, 2024. Photo: Peter De Voecht

It would also put Celtic on 10 points with three games to play. That journey to Zagreb would become all the more significant with a top eight finish in sight.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen praised the managerial exploits of Brendan Rodgers.

“You see that he’s a coach who really wants to play football, even from the back. He wants to invite pressure and always tries to find the right solution. He has the players to go deep, with deep runs from their attackers in the second line. Celtic are quite complete as a team but also as individual players.

“You see Brendan’s hand in it all. You could say that British football is more ‘kick and rush’ but here at Celtic you never see it. It’s always a clean build-up from the back and that’s exactly what a coach wants.”

Hayen added, “I heard from people that the expectations here are really big and that the atmosphere will be crazy and that they are waiting for us. These are the games you want to play as a player and we just have to stay calm, embrace all these feelings and just perform on the pitch.”

“I don’t think it will be a really closed game. It will be open and let’s hope it will be an exciting evening.”

Club Brugge will be a dangerous opponent and like Celtic will realise that they could have had much tougher opposition this evening as both sides look to make perhaps unlikely progress into the knock-out rounds and possibly beyond. A winner tonight will certainly be in a wonderful position to over-achieve in this new Champions League format.

Celtic have home advantage and the amazing European atmosphere at Paradise to provide all the motivation and encouragement needed. Meanwhile Club Brugge will have around 3000 supporters at the game so the noise is going to be incredible.

Last time against RB Leipzig it was perhaps one of the loudest nights ever at Paradise. Tonight could top that.

COYBIG

Conor Spence