Dinamo Zagreb v Celtic – Brendan Rodgers targets away win for supporters

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The Celtic Star

·10 December 2024

Dinamo Zagreb v Celtic – Brendan Rodgers targets away win for supporters

Last season Celtic collected four points from 18 in the group stages of the Champions League, the season before just two…

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

That was of course in the old format where groups of four played each other home and away.

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In the new format Celtic already have eight points from five games so at this stage there has evidently been progress. Brendan Rodgers is now undefeated in his last four matches at Celtic Park in the Champions League, three wins against Feyenoord a year ago plus in this campaign wins against Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig and most recently the draw against Club Brugge.

Celtic v Club Brugge – Daizen Maeda scores past Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the UEFA Champions League, league stage match at Celtic Park on Wednesday November 27, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

Is this the day that we win away?

In away matches it was the same old story in Dortmund as Celtic suffered a horrendous 7-1 hammering against last season’s Champions League finalists before improving significantly to achieve a goalless draw away to Europa League holders Atalanta in Bergamo. This classy Italian side is free scoring so keeping them out on their home turf seemed like a significant stage in Celtic’s development.

Celtic FC players applaud the fans following the UEFA Champions League match between Atalanta BC and Celtic FC at Stadio di Bergamo on October 23, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Mostly defeat after defeat on the road

The long suffering days of mostly defeat after defeat on the road could at last be coming to an end. We’ll get a better idea this evening as Brendan Rodgers takes his side back onto an away field in the Champions League Croatia to take on Dinamo Zagreb. And when asked at his media conference at the Maksimir Stadium if the next stage for his side is to secure an away Champions League victory, then the Celtic manager was prepared to reveal that this indeed is the mission.

Croatia, Zagreb, 091224. Maksimir Stadium. Celtic media conference before the UEFA Champions League match Dinamo – Celtic. In the photo: Auston Trusty and Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers. Photo: Ronald Gorsic / CROPIX

“You know what it means to supporters”

“Yeah, I think so,’ Brendan said. “I think it’s one where from last year we’ve been building towards performance level and results and this year we’ve been fairly consistent with that in the main and to win away from home because you know what it means to supporters as well as the points.

“You know that an away win at any level, but in particular in the Champions League, it’s a difficult challenge but it’s one that gives a real good feeling. So, for us, it’s the next step. As you say, you go to Atalanta and you defend how we did there, that gives you big confidence to know that you can go into any stadium and defend well.

“We hope that we can then bring our attack into the game”

“For us, we hope that we can then bring our attack into the game alongside that, and we know that when we do that it gives us an opportunity to get that win. You know what it takes to do it.”

Anderlecht 0 Celtic 3, Champions League 2017/18. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Rodgers has already achieved that in his first spell at the club with a brilliant 3-0 win in Belgium against Anderlecht in 2017.

“I think working with this group now and this team over the last 15, 16 months, whatever it is, I feel that we’re in a really, really good place and I know we can arrive into these games now having made some big performances that we feel can get us big results at the level.

“A great night for the team and the support”

“So, yeah, having won in Anderlecht in 2017, that was a great night for the team and the support.

“We would like to give ourselves the best opportunity we can and to do that is to look to win our next game and it’s away from home. So, we want to take that chance to do that.”