BRENDAN’S RECORD AGAINST THE EUROPEAN BIG GUNS
LIFE against the European elite has been tough for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic. Six games against Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have seen 21 goals conceded — that’s an average of 3.5 goals a game. The Parisians inflicted the Bhoys heaviest European home defeat to start this season’s Champions League group stage and it could well have been more in Bavaria on Wednesday night. Roy Keane said the Celtic players are ‘not learning’ from these humbling results. With a trip to PSG’s Parc des Princes to follow the home tie with Bayern at the end of the month, will Rodgers’ philosophy stand firm once more? Here,
SPORTSMAIL takes a look at his record against the big guns...
BARCELONA 7 CELTIC 0 SEPT 13, 2016
The Scottish champions were on the end of a heavy loss in their first group-stage appearance in three years as goals from Lionel Messi (3), Andres Iniesta, Neymar and Luis Suarez (2) secured victory for Barca.
CELTIC 3 MAN CITY 3 SEPT 28, 2016
Three times, Celtic had the lead thanks to Moussa Dembele (2) and a Raheem Sterling own goal but City pegged them back each time through Fernandinho, Sterling and Nolito.
CELTIC 0 BARCELONA 2 NOV 23, 2016
Lionel Messi proved Celtic’s judge, jury and executioner once more as another two goals from the Argentine maestro sunk Brendan Rodgers’ side on their own turf.
MAN CITY 1 CELTIC 1 DEC 6, 2016
In what was a dead-rubber match, on-loan City winger Patrick Roberts opened the scoring for Celtic before Kelechi Iheanacho equalised.
CELTIC 0 PSG 5 SEPT 12, 2017
The Parisians inflicted Celtic’s biggest-ever European home loss as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani (2) and Mikael Lustig’s own goal ended things.
B MUNICH 3 CELTIC 0 OCT 18, 2017
Bayern Munich eased past Celtic after goals from Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Mats Hummels.