Rodgers praises Celtic’s mentality after Maeda wonder strike rescues valuable Champions League point
Brendan Rodgers has praised Daizen Maeda’s miracle strike and the resilience of his Celtic players after they dug themselves out of a hole in the Champions League.
A disastrous first-half own goal from Cameron Carter-Vickers left the Parkhead side behind against Belgian champions Club Brugge.
But Maeda’s brilliant equalizer on the hour mark dragged the home side back in a match in which they were in second place for a long time.
With eight points from five games, the hope of a place in the last sixteen play-off rounds is maintained. Yet the performance was in stark contrast to the last home game, a thrilling 3-1 win over RB Leipzig, and Rodgers saw a different side to his team.
“This is what building trust at this level is all about,” he said. ‘You won’t always be able to play a perfect game if you are so good with the ball and can press so well.
‘At times other things happen in the game and you have to be able to adapt.
Rodgers says his players dug deep when they were not at their best against Club Brugge
Daizen Maeda earned Celtic a point with his brilliant shot into the far corner of the net
Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers had to bounce back after a disastrous own goal
“If it’s not quite right, can you dig yourself out? I think we can say that with this team. It’s something, 20 games now and we’ve won 16, drawn three and lost one. So it shows that the mentality is there.
“We’re very proud of them for that second-half mentality. It would have been very easy to not play with courage and continue with that urgent mentality.
‘The first half we were too passive in our pressing and we were never in conflict with them. They are a good side. You can see that.
‘But the players definitely overcame the first half and it was a much, much better second half.
‘Fantastic goal from Daizen. And from that moment on it felt like we could go on and win the game.
‘A point at this level, as we saw with Atalanta, is so important. I’ve played enough of these games and been here enough times to be in one of these and eventually you lose it.
“It’s a great honor for the players and for the way they fought until the end.”
The Parkhead side are now unbeaten in three Champions League games and still have to face Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys of Switzerland in Glasgow and Aston Villa in Birmingham. Two points from the last nine should be enough to at least claim a place in the play-offs.
Rodgers was proud of the way Carter-Vickers bounced back from an embarrassing mistake when he failed to see where Kasper Schmeichel was standing and passed the ball into his own goal.
“Mistakes happen and that was just unfortunate,” he said. ‘He’s played that pass a million times and then he went back and then we could play forward. It’s just one of those unfortunate moments in the game that happens to you.
“But he’s a very, very tough character. He’s a great guy. He got up.’