Maurizio Sarri has done his homework on Celtic; impressive comments that go against the norm

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Maurizio Sarri has clearly done his homework on Celtic ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash.

It’s matchday two of the group stage and Sarri’s Lazio are in Glasgow for what could be a defining night for both sides.

Celtic haven’t won a match at this level since 2017, while you have to go back to 2013 for our last victory at Celtic Park.

Lazio, meanwhile, are in just their second Champions League group stage campaign since 2007. Yet they appear to have more recent European pedigree than ourselves, even if their start to the Serie A season has been disappointing, to say the least.

In the lead-up to these matches, European managers often go down the stereotypical route of praising us for our battling qualities and suggesting it will be a physical encounter.

Sarri actually appears to have done his homework on this one and is expecting our technical football under Brendan Rodgers to be in evidence against his side.

“This is a different team from Leicester,” he said when asked about Rodgers’ previous club. “They have more speed and more quality.

“I think Rodgers is a very good manager. He has had a good career. I think Celtic will be a big danger. They are the dark horses in the group.

“Celtic play with great intensity, speed and movement. I was surprised how good they are technically. They deserved more against Feyenoord. I didn’t think they deserved to lose. Do I expect a physical game? No. Celtic are the least physical team in the group.

“They are very dynamic and very intense. So I don’t think it will be physical but it will have a lot of intensity.” (Celtic YouTube)

It’s quite amusing to actually hear an opposition figure talking up our technical abilities. As previously stated, most claim to have done their research and then hit out with the usual stuff.

Take Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr for example. This time, last year he brought “they run hard and are very physical” to the table days after we had dismantled Rangers 4-0 with one of the finest technical performances you’re likely to see from a Celtic team.

At least Sarri has actually watched us and is praising us for more than our battling qualities. He is clearly prepared for the game. Whether he is able to stop us is the big question.

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