Celtic claimed another point last night in the Champions League as they were held by Dinamo Zagreb on the road.
Post-match, Brendan Rodgers was frustrated at the Bhoys’ lack of quality in Croatia despite retaining the bulk of possession. However, he also acknowledged that his side had put in another solid defensive performance.
Overall, the contest wasn’t one that supporters will be falling over themselves to watch again. Celtic’s draw away to Dinamo Zagreb was definitely a case where substance got the better of style. The hosts were happy to be compact and soak up pressure to claim a result.
With the clock ticking down, Rodgers applied game management to avoid any unnecessary late slip-ups as the Scottish top-flight holders searched for a late victory, albeit not to the intensity he would’ve liked.
On a Champions League night that never really caught fire, Celtic had to settle for a share of the spoils, and Alistair Johnston has offered his input after another step in the right direction.
Alistair Johnston has his say on Celtic’s draw with Dinamo Zagreb
Speaking after the match, Johnston shared his belief that the stalemate is another result to ‘build on’ as they seek progression in their final two matches, albeit he did concede his side didn’t play to their full potential at Maksimir Stadium.
He stated via BBC Sport: “It’s something to build on; again, this is the Champions League; every point matters, especially when you’re away from home.
“If you can pick up a point, it’s important. All these grounds are difficult to go to, we’re going to look back on it. It wasn’t our best performance by any stretch of the imagination, at the same time, we went out there and kept a clean sheet, limited them to just a few chances.
“Again, it’s something to build on. Nine points after six games, I don’t think anyone will be looking back on that with too much regret; if you told the guys at the beginning of the season that we’d be on that number here, I think a lot of our fans, and ourselves would be pretty happy with that.
“There’s still more points to be gained in those six, but we’re looking at the positives here, and it’s a great chance with two more matches to add to our points tally.”
Celtic know Young Boys encounter is now crucial
One reality of not securing qualification last night means that Celtic’s Champions League hopes roll over to their upcoming fixture against Young Boys come January at Parkhead.
The Swiss outfit are bottom of the league phase at the time of writing and will officially be eliminated unless they beat Stuttgart this evening in Germany.
Potentially, that could create a favourable scenario for Celtic, who would go into the clash against a side with nothing but pride to play for, knowing they can decide their fate.
Joel Magnin’s mission to move up the Swiss Super League table may take priority over fulfilling a dead-rubber European fixture from their end, which could play into the Bhoys’ hands. Either way, only time will tell on that front.
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