Brendan Rodgers’ big pre-match message to Celtic dressing room ahead of Atletico test

Add as preferred source on Google

Brendan Rodgers has shared what he will be telling his Celtic players ahead of kick-off against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League tonight.

The Scottish champions travel to Spain knowing only a positive result will keep their hopes of European football after Christmas viable.

The only point earned by Celtic so far in Group E came against Atletico on the last matchday after superb goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma contributed to a 2-2 result.

And Rodgers wants his team to have no regrets when the full-time whistle is blown in Madrid this evening, even recognising it’s going to be a tough shift.

Brendan Rodgers calls for no Celtic disappointment

The Celtic boss said [Scottish Daily Mail, 07/11 print edition]: “I always think it is just that you want the players to come off and have played with no fear. You can lose any game, especially against top teams and players, but don’t come off disappointed.

“That’s what we have said at all the games. Go and impose our game. Look at Feyenoord, we did that. Look at Lazio, we did that and certainly against this team, which is one of the crack teams in European football, we definitely did that.

“The message will be the same. Let’s go and ask them to play the game they don’t want to play — and for us to play how we want to play. And when we have to defend, we know we have to, but let’s be together.

“We recognise they are a very good side, but I recognise we are a good team. We play to our level, we can impose our way and bring our authority to the game. But you have to be adaptable. At times in the game, as we were in the first game, you are under pressure and you have to defend.

“That’s not being pragmatic. That’s just how the game rolls. We certainly set off to be fast and dynamic in our game and it’ll be no different in this game. We look to play our game and make a fast start and, when the challenges come, which they will do, we look to defend really strongly as a team to combat that.”

Tonight’s match is inarguably the most difficult Celtic have faced since Rodgers returned to the club. Few fans are expecting a win and even a draw looks to be a tall order.

However, we still want to see a strong performance and we definitely don’t want to see the kind of European collapse that has happened too often over the years.

If Celtic leave it all out there on the pitch tonight and let Atletico know they’ve been in a game, anything could happen.