Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic ended honours evening on Tuesday evening as both sides kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive after a goalless draw at Maksimir Stadium.
Truthfully, the affair wasn’t much to write home about. The visitors’ lack of attacking fluency, combined with the home side’s contentment to sit in, prompted both teams to cancel each other out.
Post-match, Brendan Rodgers labelled Celtic’s draw in Zagreb a ‘missed opportunity’, albeit his side dug deep defensively to leave Croatia with another clean sheet in the bank.
Now, Celtic will wait until their clash against Young Boys next month to try and secure Champions League progression in front of a capacity home crowd.
Rodgers has overseen an impressive growth in level of performance from the reigning Scottish Premiership champions at the elite level. However, it is clear this process still has room to develop.
Perspective is needed when examining the bigger picture. Sometimes, an outside view can help provide context of how far Celtic have come in recent times, which is something Marko Pjaca has helped to reflect in his thoughts after the full-time whistle.
Marko Pjaca pays Celtic ‘serious’ Champions League complement
Speaking after Celtic’s draw against Dinamo Zagreb, Marko Pjaca acknowledged that the Bhoys were a ‘serious team’ who they were more than happy to take a point against despite retaining home advantage.
He explained: “Celtic are a really good, serious team who have been in great form recently. Remember, they have only lost once in the Champions League this season and that was away to Borussia Dortmund.
“So I think we can be proud of our display and we looked really solid throughout the game. This was a fair result, although we did have some opportunities to win it, including one from me. It was a shame their keeper made such a good save.
“Celtic had more of the ball in the first half, but in the second half, we pressed higher up and were better. I thought we defended well and we go into the remaining games of the tournament with optimism now. Our main priority now is to start picking up some wins in the league.”
Marko Pjaca’s comments help paint bigger Celtic picture
Evaluating the immediate aftermath, Celtic fans have had a mixed reaction to the Zagreb stalemate as their side couldn’t convert a singular point into three on a night where they were the better side.
However, competing in the Champions League with the possibility of taking regular results at this level felt almost alien a year ago bar a few fleeting moments here and there.
With two matches to go against Young Boys and Aston Villa, Celtic know they are nearly over the line and will seal progression with a victory over the former on home soil.
The overriding feeling that will be taken once the dust settles is last night was by no means a detrimental result. As frustrating a watch as it may have been, the Bhoys can still decide their own destiny.
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