Celtic’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, expressed his thoughts after their Europa League match against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade ended in a 1-1 draw. While acknowledging the value of securing a point away from home, Rodgers also noted a sense of disappointment, feeling his team had the potential to win the game.
“I believe it’s a positive start for us,” Rodgers told Celtic TV. “Naturally, you aim to win every match, but to come here, secure a point, and still feel a tinge of disappointment suggests we could have achieved more. We’ll take this experience and focus on our next game against Braga next week.”
Rodgers highlighted areas for improvement in the first half, stating, “In the first half, we were too passive. When we did manage to advance into the game, we didn’t maintain possession long enough in the final third of the field.”
A key tactical change at the start of the second half saw Kelechi Iheanacho enter the game, replacing Daizen Maeda. This substitution proved impactful, as Iheanacho scored a remarkable goal in the 56th minute, giving Celtic the lead.
Rodgers explained the reasoning behind the substitution: “I brought Kelechi into the game because he provides a good focal point for the team. I know he’s capable of holding the ball, and his touch is excellent. This allowed us to gain a better foothold in the game. I felt we were much improved in the second half and looked like we could potentially win.”
Iheanacho’s performance throughout the remainder of the game continued to impress, causing problems for the Crvena Zvezda defense. Rodgers praised his contribution, acknowledging Iheanacho’s natural goal-scoring ability. He said “Kelechi’s a brilliant goalscorer. I knew that bringing him in, and I knew that how he looks after himself is really good. So it’s just about getting him up to speed, and when he can do that, he can score goals, there’s absolutely no doubt.”
The manager also singled out 19-year-old Colby Donovan for his outstanding performance. “I thought Colby was outstanding. I said afterwards to the players that for a young kid who’s just turned 19, coming to this stadium which is a real challenge and a real intimidating place, he played with personality, he played with composure and he has a toughness to him where he’s not going to get beat easily, and I thought he was absolutely outstanding.” Rodgers emphasized the challenging atmosphere of the stadium and commended Donovan’s composure and resilience.
The match concluded with a final score of 1-1, leaving both teams with a point in their opening Europa League fixture. Celtic will now look ahead to their upcoming match against Braga, aiming to build on this performance and secure a victory. The team will be focusing on improving their possession in the final third and maintaining their second-half momentum throughout the game. The manager said he expect the best for next match to secure their Europa League campaign.
