Continental clash
eltic manager Brendan Rodgers will play Craig Gordon in goal as he valiantly attempts to thwart former protege Raheem Sterling and his Manchester City teammates in the Champions League. While both Celtic and City top their respective domestic leagues ahead of the Battle of Britain group stage clash at Celtic Park tonight, kick-off 10.45pm UAE time, former Liverpool boss Rodgers lauded the impact Pep Guardiola has made on the Abu Dhabi-backed club.
Celtic, with Dutchman Dorus de Vries in goal, were given a European lesson earlier this month as Barcelona claimed a commanding 7-0 win at the Camp Nou, while Guardiola’s City, who have triumphed in every match this season, including a group stage 4-0 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach, head to Glasgow looking for 11 in a row.
After shipping in seven at the Nou Camp and being substituted with a chest injury at halftime during Celtic’s victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday, de Vries will be replaced in goal by Scottish international Gordon against City. “Craig Gordon will start,” said Rodgers yesterday. “Dorus isn’t 100 per cent after the weekend. He trained with the team but there’s no need for us to take a risk when I’ve got an outstanding goalkeeper, so Craig will play.” To achieve any kind of a result against exceptional City, Rodgers knows Scottish champions Celtic will have to be outstanding.
High intensity
“They’re a team at the very top of their game,” he said of the Premier League table-toppers.
“I’ve watched and worked against Manchester City over the course of the last four or five season and they’ve always had a group of players — hence going on and winning leagues and cups.
“But the level of their play has gone up since Pep came in. The intensity of their game has gone up. You now see a team working collectively with one idea. When you have world class players working to that level, you know it’s going to be difficult to contain.”
The Northern Irishman added: “Man City are a top team. Everyone can see that clearly and how they’re working and collectively working — and they have that world-class ability. Marry that all together and it’s a real potent team. For us, we know we have to bring our ‘A’ game to have any chance — and that’s what we hope we can do.”
Rodgers, who said the famed atmospheric crowd at Celtic Park could be the “12th man”, but insisted his team on the park could not be as “passive” as they were against Barcelona, admitted he was looking forward to a reunion with on-form City winger Sterling, a player he managed at Liverpool. “I’ve been so proud to watch him this season playing and to the level he’s been at,” said Rodgers. “Absolutely delighted for him. He was a great boy to work with. To see him grow from that 17-year-old who made his first start for me against Manchester City, funnily enough, at Anfield, and from that to see his growth over the next three seasons or so was great.”
Sterling struggled initially after moving to City for £49 million (Dh234.32 million) from Liverpool in the summer of July, 2015. “You have to remember he went there at 20,” Rodgers. “For a season or so he drifted, maybe not so much to do with him. He needs to be in a structure, a clear way of working. And when he’s in that, he’s one of the world’s leading young talents. Super fast, dynamic, great on the one-v-one. He was absolutely brilliant for me. Hopefully he doesn’t play so well because he’s in great form! You can’t kick him because he’s so strong.
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