Kasper Schmeichel sends ‘with all due respect’ message to Celtic players about the Champions League

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Celtic have concluded probably their best week of the season so far.

It all started with Celtic demolishing Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final, before that masterclass performance in the Champions League against RB Leipzig.

That took a lot out of the players, so it wasn’t a surprise that the champions found life more difficult against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday.

Derek McInnes’ tactics caused Celtic issues, but the team stuck at it, and as champions do, they ground out a result and walked away with the points.

Kasper Schmeichel was the Man of the Match and he deserved his clean sheet because he made some crucial saves, especially just before Nicolas Kuhn’s goal.

But, after the match, Celtic’s new shot-stopper was pretty honest in his assessment of the past week.

Kasper Schmeichel says ‘anyone’ can get themselves up for a Champions League game

There wasn’t any worry about complacency against Killie, the manager and the skipper Callum McGregor wouldn’t allow such a thing.

But it is still tiring on the legs, especially when the opposition is in your face, pressing high up and being physical towards you.

That’s why Schmeichel stated that the Rugby Park match was a ‘measuring stick’ for the Celtic players to see where they are at, as he told Sky Sports.

The 38-year-old added ‘with all due respect’ you can get yourself up for a Champions League match, but different questions are asked of you in the so-called lesser matches.

“It’s always going to be difficult coming away on the back of a semi-final and a Champions League,” said Schmeichel.

“This was, for us, a measuring stick of how far we have come. It’s a tough pitch. A difficult game and you know what they are going to bring, so to come away with a win and a clean sheet is even better.

‘Is that much about mentality as well, you go from that big Champions League night to playing at Rugy Park’, he is asked and responds: “With all due respect, anyone can get themselves up for a Champions League game. But coming away from home on a difficult afternoon, a difficult pitch and up against an opponent that wants to press you. Be very physical. Can you stand up to it? I thought we did really well.”

Celtic’s upcoming games

It’s everyone’s favourite time on the calendar again and that’s the international break.

There has already been some news regarding that, with Adam Idah pulling out of Republic of Ireland duty.

When the players return from national duty, that’s when the serious stuff begins and we enter the gruelling winter period.

Celtic have Club Brugge up next in the Champions League on November 27, including a trip to Croatia to take on Dinamo Zagreb on December 10.

In between then, they have three tricky away trips in the Premiership, including against high-flying Aberdeen.