Another Champions League win will be enough to see Celtic through to the next level and Brendan Rodgers told his looks to “play the game, not the opportunity”.
Celtic take on youngsters from Switzerland in their penultimate league at Parkhead on Wednesday night, and it promises to be a memorable occasion.
They are 21st on the board with nine problems from six games, and a win opposite the team sitting at the back, without a point, would almost guarantee a play-off round position. He would even stay alive with the hopes of a position in the most sensible eight, with Aston Villa coming.
Rodgers, who has never progressed to the knockout stages of either of his two spells with Celtic, will be hoping they can pass more in his home game of the new organization.
“When we’re on this journey, we’re looking to show that we can compete at this point and we can go through and take the next steps and get into the play-off scene,” the manager said.
“We were able to put ourselves in a smart position with nine problems and the shape of our house at the point was smart.
“Now we have this opportunity to take a step to get to the playoffs.
“They [the players] sense the magnitude of the game, but they also sense that it’s about playing.
“The key in games like this here is that you play and the occasion.
“The opportunity is surely great for us, however, we can only get to where we need to spend the game in the titles played, especially at home. “
Celtic’s Swiss warring parties have yet to pick a single point at the organization level and have never won any of their last 11 games out of competition.
The new Champions League format means that the team that finishes ninth faces the team in 24th place in the qualifiers. The Tenth Plays 23, 11 plays 22 and so on.
So if you just miss an incredible finish, the blow is softened through the play of the acting sides that have been ranked since the league stage. So the more you finish, the “easier” game you get.
But again, if groups like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are suffering in the league stage, you might have the groups in combination in the playoffs.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor will be hoping that this is the season in which he leads the level of organisation beyond European competition.
“It’s up to us to go out there and give a functionality that deserves and engages the crowd in the game and makes for a tough night,” he said.
“We know that we are playing to the side, physicality at this level.
“But we also know that we are also an aspect and that we can play football. We have shown it in the house games and in some of the away games also at this level.
“We have tried and failed quite a bit of the time, so it is a big step for the club. Everyone must be a component of it.
“We’ve done so well so far, but we don’t need to be the team almost.
“We feel like we have a team here that will be successful. Now it depends on the players that it turns out”.
Rodgers has insisted that he has returned to assist Celtic not only dominates domestically, but also makes a “breakthrough” in the Champions League, and so far he is right.
Last season is a tough learning curve. While they won their first home game in 10 years, beating Feyenoord, they last won on the road in 2017, in Rodgers’ first spell at the club.
He influences that this Celtic is heading in the right direction to “break that barrier and close that gap” to Europe’s elite. To end his career without a win on the way.
There is no doubt that last summer’s signings helped. Celtic broke their record move through the signing of Arne Engels for £11m, while Adam Idah returned permanently in a deal worth up to £9. 5m. uston Trusty moved from Sheffield United for £6m, with Kasper, with Kasper. Schmeichel has been in the team since his time at the club, with Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan and Alex Valle also making an impact.
As Rodgers promised, the rims are more powerful now than they were last season. Celtic have the team they want to take credit for domestic dominance and they have also shown that they have a genuine chance of progressing in the Champions League.
To finish in the 24 most sensible, which promises them at least a play-off spot, OPTA believes that 10 problems, so 3 wins and a draw or other combinations, will almost secure them a position in this round.
Nine problems, so 3 wins out of 8 games or other combinations, may be enough to finish 24th, with these overall problems sufficient in 69% of the simulations.
But 8 problems, so two wins and two draws, or other combinations, have the threat of elimination, this general problem is enough in 16% of the simulations.
Therefore, teams will aim for at least 3 wins out of 8 to give them the most productive imaginable chance of making it through the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season will take place in Munich at the Allianz Arena on 31 May 2025.