Manager: We came up against an outstanding team

Celtic F.C.

·1 October 2024

Manager: We came up against an outstanding team

Good players can always punish you, and tonight (Tuesday), Celtic came against a team, and a bench, packed with very good players, and not a bad one amongst them.

Borussia Dortmund capitalised on every slip for the Hoops, mistakes that normally are rectified almost immediately, but the German side had the skill and the nous to punish every error almost without exception.

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The German side scored seven times, mainly due to their ability to capitalise and any loose or second ball, and after the 7-1 defeat, Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We are obviously very disappointed with the result.

‘I don’t think I’ve been involved in a game where virtually every single mistake is punished.’

“And I just felt that that’s how the game went for us. If we lost the ball, they were breaking away so fast, and how clinical they were in their finishing was incredible.

“So it was a really, really tough night for us.

“In the second half the guys showed good personality, showed courage to take the ball, and to play. And at least showed the spirit in the second half.

“But they were too good for us this evening.”

He added: “We had a great first game, we always knew it was going to be difficult with some of the away games that we have at this level, and I think you saw tonight why that is.

“How clinical they were, how ruthless they were and they were an outstanding team.

“There are harsh lessons at this level, any misplaced passes, when your positioning is not quite right, you get punished.

“You saw there, a few short passes and they were away, and we get punished for that. So for our players it’s a big learning, and one that we need to take into the next games at this level.”