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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Rodgers expects 'another big examination' for Celtic when Club Brugge visit Glasgow

Brendan Rodgers has warned his Celtic players not to take Club Brugge lightly as the pair prepare to meet at Parkhead on Wednesday. 

Celtic are motoring along nicely in the UEFA Champions League league phase, sitting with seven points from their opening four matches. 

Their Belgian opponents are a point behind and have only lost once from their last 10 games in all competitions.

Rodgers' side have shown they are capable of dining at Europe's top table, particularly when they were worthy 3-1 winners over RB Leipzig last time out.

That result followed a plausible 0-0 away draw with Atalanta, and the Celtic manager is determined his players must maintain those high standards, and more, against Club Brugge. 

Speaking ahead of the matchday five clash, Rodgers said: “Yeah, equally as tough. I think the world probably thinks that, okay, you play really hard games against Atalanta and Red Bull Leipzig and then everything else is fine, but it’s the Champions League. Every game is a very, very tough game and this game will be another big examination for us.

"I’ve watched some of the games and I’ve watched the Villa game. Very well coached, you can see they know their roles, know their jobs. The front line is fast and dynamic.


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"Simon [Mignolet], the goalkeeper I had at Liverpool, a very experienced guy who’s very calm. He was a fantastic goalkeeper in the Premier League and he came into Liverpool and did really, really well.

"I haven’t seen him for a long time, so it will be good to see him. He’s a very good shotstopper. He’s obviously got a lot of experience. Good coming for crosses. So that mix of real young, hungry players and who have had experience at the level.

“Teams like Club Brugge are not teams that are probably spoken about a lot, maybe in the same echelons of some of these other big names. But these are teams that you cannot underestimate. They’re very experienced at the level. They’ve got some fantastic players, a very good coach who’s stepped up and taken them and works them very, very well. So we have to be mindful of that.

“What you would expect at this level, dynamic, creative, will run, will work hard. So it’ll be a difficult opponent. You’ve got to be really efficient.”

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