NOW BRING ON BARCA!
After putting Rangers to the sword, hat-trick hero Dembele insists he’s ready to rock the Nou Camp...
MOUSSA DEMBELE last night declared himself ready for the Nou Camp after destroying Rangers with a perfect hat-trick on his Old Firm debut. The striker was the star turn in Celtic’s 5-1 thumping of their Glasgow rivals yesterday and is now certain to start in Tuesday night’s Champions League opener against Barcelona. With top-scorer Leigh Griffiths again set to miss out for Brendan Rodgers’ side with a hamstring strain, Dembele will get a crack at the La Liga champions and, having scored the first treble of his career, the 20-year-old could scarcely be more confident. ‘This was the perfect day, to beat Rangers, to get the points and to get my first hat-trick,’ said Dembele, who was joined on the scoresheet by Scott Sinclair and substitute Stuart Armstrong. ‘It was unbelievable and I will remember it all my life.
‘When you come to a big club like Celtic, you expect big games. Now we are looking to Tuesday and if I have to start, then I will be ready. We are capable of going to Barcelona and getting a result. We are going there to give everything.’
Dembele, who opened the scoring with his head before adding goals with either foot, has largely been asked to play second fiddle to Griffiths since completing his summer move from Fulham.
‘Leigh won’t make Tuesday,’ said Rodgers. ‘He was hoping he could get through, but I would say it is probably going to be a week or so.’
Griffiths could be joined on the sidelines by captain Scott Brown, who hobbled off late in yesterday’s match.
‘Again, we just need to assess that,’ added the Celtic manager. ‘If he is not able to play, then someone else will have to come in.’