Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has urged his team to play without fear and have no regrets against Bayern Munich.
Rodgers’ side have travelled to Germany 2-1 down in the Champions League knockout phase play-off but Daizen Maeda’s late goal at Parkhead has given the Hoops fans a glimmer of hope.
Celtic are in the knockout rounds for the first time in 12 years and Rodgers feels the pressure is off ahead of their second leg at the Allianz Arena.
Rodgers said: “It is a challenge at this level. But it’s something that we want to embrace, that challenge.
“We’ve done very well to get to this point. When you get to this point, you want to play top-level teams. This is a team that has world-class players.
“I think it’s just spelling out that you come to this level and you have to play without any fear.
“I think there are worse things in life that can happen than losing a game of football. So for us, we want to ensure that when we come in after the game, if we don’t go through, we’ve given it absolutely everything.
Daizen Maeda scores in the first leg last week
“I look at this game and I’m so glad I have this group of players that have a great mentality and incredible professionalism and they can go and show that.
“Then we know that we’re in with a chance as long as you can take that opportunity to give your very, very best. The regret is always if you don’t, you just turn up too late for the game.
“So there’s no second chance. We’ve got the one opportunity.
“I see it as a wonderful opportunity. I know that even if we go out after this game, this has been a great adventure for us this season and we’ve shown progress at this level. That’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to make sure that we have that respectability.”
‘Celtic have learned lessons from Dortmund defeat’
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Harry Kane at full-time at Celtic Park
Rodgers believes Celtic have learned major lessons from their 7-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in match day two.
“In the Dortmund game, we chased the game,” Rodgers said. “We had scored early on and the lessons were from that. Our plan was to be stable and steady and compact.
“I think that’s been the big learning for us from that game. You’re not tight, you’re not stable, you’re not compact, you’re not concentrated and you leave space for world-class players.
“It’s the mark of the group. We’re a humble group. We came away and had some really good performances after that.”
Rodgers’ main dilemma appears to be whether to start Maeda or Adam Idah through the middle after the Japanese striker helped change the game with his pressing when he moved inside during the first leg.
That could mean Jota starting his third game since returning to Celtic and Rodgers would be happy to start with the Portuguese winger.
“Yes, if we decide that’s what we need to do,” he said.
Kane a doubt due to facial injury
Harry Kane is a doubt for Bayern’s clash against Celtic
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane sat out training on Monday afternoon and is a fitness doubt for the Champions League game against Celtic.
The England captain, who scored the winner in Bayern’s 2-1 first-leg win over the Hoops last Wednesday, suffered a facial injury towards the end of Saturday’s goalless Bundesliga draw at Bayer Leverkusen.
Asked about Kane’s availability for Tuesday evening’s second leg of the knockout phase play-off, head coach Vincent Kompany said: “It’s nothing bad with Harry, but we’ve not got much time to recover.
“Sometimes you need an extra day. But we’ll see how Harry feels in the morning. I’m assuming it’s nothing bad. We’ve not had long to recover.”
When pressed later in his pre-match press conference, the Belgian said: “I was a bit blurry in how I said it, whether he’s fit or not. Maybe a bit of a red herring. I can only say that we’ll see (on Tuesday).”
‘We need to take advantage of being at home’
Kane celebrates after scoring at Celtic Park
Kompany also has a doubt over the sick Joao Palhinha but he knows his side are expected to win even though a draw would see them go through.
“I’m talking here to people who understand it,” he said. “It’s the same for us as well as Celtic. You need to win every home game and make the difference. It’s the same every week, for us and Celtic.
“When you’re playing against teams who are used to dominating and scoring lots of goals in their domestic league, then you have a team who are always dangerous when they get forward.
“Celtic showed that as well, but we did well against them. And we still have to play the second half of this tie. The parameters haven’t changed. But it’s our home leg and we want to take advantage of that.”
Kompany added: “A lot can happen in a game like this. We need to be prepared for everything, whether that’s sitting back or pressing high.
“But there’s a lot in between that can determine a game. We need to be there mentally to do the right thing.”
