JUVE TO ASK FOR THEIR POG BACK
Brattbakk warns striking bar may cost Celts
Juventus want to lure Paul Pogba back to Italy just two years after selling the Manchester United midf ielder to them for a whopping £89million.
The Turin giants have told Pogba’s agent they are interested in re- signing the World Cup winner (right) and have asked if the Reds could be persuaded to sell.
After splashing out £100m recruiting Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, the Serie A champions are looking to raise around £200m by cashing in on stars such as Miralem Pjanic, Gonzalo Higuain, Daniele Rug a ni and Mattia Caldara in a bid to finance
Harald Brattbakk knows the Parkhead crossbar saved Rosenborg from an early Champions League exit against Celtic.
And the former Hoops striker insists the Norwegians can’t rely on luck again for the second-leg in Trondheim.
The woodwork denied both Callum McGregor’s curler and Olivier Ntcham’s late shot as Celtic pushed for goals.
Brattbakk agrees his countrymen are fortunate still to be alive in the tie after the 3-1 defeat in Glasgow.
Yet he has warned Celtic they could live to regret not putting the second qualifying-round clash to bed.
The 47-year-old gave a decade’s service to Rosenborg and is a Hoops hero for his part in stopping Rangers’ charge to 10-in-a-row in 1998.
He said: “Rosenborg were lucky not to concede another two – and at 4-1 down, the tie would definitely be over for them.
“But at 3-1, with an away goal, they only need two goals to go through.
“And that hope is what Rosenborg will now be holding on to.
“It’s something that Celtic wi l l definitely regret, not scoring that vital fourth goal. But even if Rosenborg score two on Wednesday, they still need to keep a clean sheet.
“The crossbar helped them in Glasgow but they can’t depend on that again.
“Rosenborg didn’t show enough threat in the first leg. They failed to cause Celtic problems at Parkhead.
“Trying to defend, especially when you have a lead, is fine.
“But you still have to create something at the other end as well and that was missing from Rosenborg’s game on Wednesday after they scored.
“Celtic are the better team and, of course, they can score in Norway.
“But at least from Rosenborg’s point of view, the tie’s not over – like it would have been if they’d conceded again.”
Brattbakk, who now works as a pilot in Norway, returned from holiday to find his old club in a state of turmoil after Kare Ingebrigtsen’s sacking.
But unlike the current crop of players, he wasn’t stunned by the decision.
He accepts that binning Ingebrigtsen on the eve of the Celtic tie was ill-timed.
But Brattbakk is adamant the furore over his departure had no bearing at all on the outcome of Wednesday night’s first leg. He said: “I wouldn’t say the chaos surrounding the change of coach affected the team in Glasgow.
“These things don’t have as big an impact as you might think. The players were still professional and did their best.
“And I don’t think the previous manager would have done any better.
“Of course, the new coach made some minor changes.
“But I don’t expect to see him in charge next year – he’ll probably be a temporary appointment.
“Was I shocked to see Ingebrigtsen sacked? No, just a bit surprised.
“The board believed he’d reached his potential at the club but it was the timing that was odd.
“The way it was handled and when they did it could have been better but you can’t say it was the wrong decision.
“Not unless you have a crystal ball and can see what’s going to happen.”
After Birger Meling’s opening goal at Parkhead, Rodgers’ side took control and deserved to win thanks to a double from Odsonne Edouard and Ntcham’s strike.
Brattbakk enjoyed watching Celtic and was impressed by the likes of Edouard, Kieran Tierney and Kristoffer Ajer.
He’d love to see them qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
But he warns the competition is so difficult now, that Celtic shouldn’t beat themselves up if they fall short. He said: “I like Tierney at left- back. He’s a real attacking player but can also defend well.
“Edouard also looks like an excellent addition. He’s still young but he was very good in the first leg.
“I’m happy to see Ajer develop there too. He’s playing with a real confidence that is special for a young player.
“And the goal from Ntcham was the highlight of a very good performance from Celtic.
“They can definitely reach the group stages of the Champions League again.
“They wi l l sti ll need to improve after Rosenborg but the manager will know that.
“It’s difficult. Out of 32 teams in the Champions League, 26 have already qualified. So it’s tough now for clubs like Celtic.
“They shouldn’t be too disappointed if they end up in the Europa League group phase.
“If they play as well as they can, get drawn against a top European team and don’t qualify, it’s not a disaster.
“But if they get favourable opponents and don’t improve or play well, that won’t be good enough for Celtic.”