Rodgers hails growing confidence as Celtic seek to seize moment in  Champions League

Too often in recent times, matchday six for Celtic in the Champions League has been reduced to little more than a box-ticking exercise.

Two years ago, failure to beat Shakhtar Donetsk in the penultimate group match set up a much-anticipated meeting with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu after hopes of securing European football after Christmas had already been extinguished.

Twelve months ago, a defeat to Lazio in Rome also made a final home game against Feyenoord irrelevant – save the chance to earn a win bonus from UEFA and salvage some pride.

The scenario facing Brendan Rodgers’ side this time around at the same time of the revamped competition could hardly be more different.

Celtic are not only hoping to cross the line into the knockout round for the first time in twelve years. They have the potential to do this with a degree of comfort.

After five games they are already on a commendable eight points. A win against Dinamo will take them past the magical ten-point mark and aim for a place in the play-off round. A top eight finish, which comes with the prize of going straight to the last sixteen, would also be mathematically possible.

A share of the proceeds tomorrow at the Maksimir Stadium would clearly not be a disaster.

With Young Boys and Aston Villa still to come in the new year, Rodgers would rightly believe his side would still earn the one point they probably still needed to progress.

However, this feels like a golden opportunity to get the job done early.

Although Celtic have not won in the league since beating Anderlecht seven years ago, an excellent defensive performance in Bergamo against Europa League holders Atalanta suggested hard lessons had been learned quickly from a horrific night in Dortmund.

The growing confidence in Rodgers’ side is also in stark contrast to that of their opponents.

A five-match winless streak has begun, with manager Nenad Bjelica dealing with an injury crisis.

After the weekend draw against Slaven Belupo, the Croatian champions released a statement addressing the current ‘crisis’.

While there may have been a degree of bluff involved, Celtic have good reason to believe a prized victory is theirs for the taking.

“I think you need big performances at this level,” Rodgers said. “I think that’s what gives you the confidence.

“I take it back to last year and I saw enough there to feel we could improve. We have improved, but we have also improved as a collective, because at a club like us at this level it really is about the team.

‘We’ve had some big performances in this campaign, which gives us that confidence, but we’ve also importantly shown that we can come out of a setback (Dortmund), which was quite a big setback.

‘As a coach and manager it gives you a lot of confidence and hope in the players you have. So from then on the players have been brilliant.”

Since Neil Lennon’s side beat Barcelona on their way to a last-16 meeting with Juventus in 2012/13, Celtic have not progressed further into the business side of the Champions League.

After a few near misses and a few damp squibs, the displays and results so far in this year’s new look competition have given rise to hopes that this side can go where no other has ventured for twelve years.

The magnitude of that achievement would be even greater if a win at Maksimir Stadium got the job done with two games to spare.

“I don’t think you have to tell the players,” Rodgers added.

“I think we are a very ambitious team and we definitely go into every game trying to win.

‘This game is no different. We always respect every opponent we play. We come into this with confidence, but we know we have to do our job and put the work in.

‘It’s a level where every team has great talent. In a country like Croatia, which has always produced very gifted technical players, we will always respect that.

“But we know that, and we have already shown in this competition, that we can compete and be really competitive in all aspects, whether it is the technical, tactical or physical side of the game. So that’s what we’re looking forward to, that challenge.’

While sitting in the same chair an hour earlier, Bjelica quit just before saying he was ready to make a comeback as a player to help with Dinamo’s grim injury situation.

Rodgers has honestly heard it all before. While Dinamo are in third place in the domestic league after a difficult period, Rodgers prefers to look at the seven points they have managed to collect in the Champions League so far.

“Well, I guess that says it all,” he smiled. ‘I think it tells you everything that if you can get seven points in a Champions League format, it shows you that you are a very good team. So yes, there are some really gifted players.

‘(Martin) Baturina in midfield is a very talented young player whose talent can travel with the ball and is technically very good, while they also have other very good technicians.

‘So yes, at this level of competition you know, whatever some teams do in their competition format, the Champions League is always something that really gives a team extra motivation.

“So for us, we have prepared for a very difficult match, but we also want to make it very difficult for them. When a team is in crisis mode, for me it is always dangerous and that is why I never think about it or look at it because I always think that it provides the opportunity for someone else to come in, whether it is players are missing or that the form has not been quite good.

“I let my guard down. I just don’t believe it. That’s the reality.

‘What you know is that in the Champions League, as soon as the music comes on, every team is motivated to win.’

In an extremely promising season, this feels like a decisive week. Perform as they can and on Sunday evening Rodgers’ side could have secured progression in Europe while clinching the Premier Sports Cup at the expense of Rangers.

“Every game is so important as a Celtic player and manager and that’s why and what we prepare for every day,” he added.

“So we haven’t even thought about the Rangers game yet.

“One thing you can mistake in football is you can think about more than one thing and for me I’m really focused and intense on this game. So that’s our focus. As soon as it’s done tomorrow night, we can get ready.’