STRESS TEST
All the pressure is on Zenit, insists Rodgers
BRENDAN RODGERS last night told Zenit the pressure was all on them as the Russians seek to turn tonight’s Europa League tie on its head in front of their own fans.
Leading through Callum McGregor’s goal from the first leg, Celtic arrived here last night with no fresh injury concerns as they plot a path to the last 16.
Roberto Mancini invested £80million to freshen up the Zenit squad last summer and there is a natural expectation that the 2008 winners will be in the running to make this year’s final in Lyon.
Rodgers feels that the expectant capacity crowd at the Krestovsky Stadium will hold no fears for his charges — with the pressure potentially working against Mancini’s men.
‘When you get to this level, you expect games like this,’ he
said. ‘Fortunately, we have a group of players who play most weeks in front of 60,000 people at home. So that’s nothing new. And we also go to some great stadiums in the UK and have been around the world playing in big games. ‘Of course it’s going to be a test and a challenge. But we’ll really embrace it knowing this is a game that was always going to be difficult. ‘It’s a dangerous game for Zenit because of our quality. If we can put it all together, I think we’ll be in with a great chance.’ Rodgers believes Zenit’s enormous outlay on transfer fees means they remain favourites to progress regardless of what transpired in Glasgow. ‘My view doesn’t change from before the first game,’ he added. ‘I think everyone would have said that this was a really, really difficult tie for Celtic and that Zenit would expect to go through. ‘People will say they were unfit or whatever reason but I think that is a disservice to our players because they were brilliant on the night.’ Asked if he felt Celtic would require a goal to progress in a post-Christmas knockout tie for the first time in 14 years, the Parkhead boss replied: ‘We would want to score. I think that’s more the point. Our idea is to go and win the game. ‘If we can’t win it, okay, try not to lose it.’ Zenit don’t resume their domestic programme until the start of next month, with Mancini citing ring-rust for a flat display in Glasgow. Rodgers, though, cast doubt on his counterpart’s belief that Zenit will be back up to speed tonight. ‘There’s only so much you can do in a week,’ he said. ‘I think they themselves will expect to play better. ‘They have to, when you look at the game last week. We were the real team of dominance in every aspect of the game. ‘When you have big players and they have made that investment in bringing players then, of course, they will know that and they will want to show their true face really in the game. But we will expect that.’ Rodgers uncharacteristically lost his cool when McGregor netted with 12 minutes of the first leg remaining — sprinting from his technical area to embrace fans. Were Celtic to score tonight, the Celtic manager believes he may be unable to restrain himself again. ‘It might be a full lap this time!’ he laughed. ‘It’s emotion. It was the 78th minute and we scored a brilliant goal. To see our young squad play with such confidence and score like that took over. ‘Listen, hopefully I’m running up the touchline again. I’d take that.’