Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has promised to approach the final UEFA Europa League group game against RB Salzburg in an attacking manner, playing for the victory despite only needing a draw against the Austrians.
Thursday night’s results, a 1-0 Celtic win in Norway and a Leipzig defeat against their Red Bull counterparts, has given the Hoops an excellent chance of qualifying for the last 32 of the competition, with everything now in our own hands.
Salzburg have won five games from five in the group, brushing aside all the competition to guarantee the top spot in Group B.
And they’re unlikely to take it too easy against Celtic when they come calling in Glasgow on 13th December.
Rodgers isn’t tempted to play for the draw though and will be going all out to pick up all three points.
As quoted by The Scottish Sun, he said after last night’s match:
We just wanted to have an opportunity after this evening to have it in our own hands.
And thankfully that’s the way it’s worked out.
You can only look after your own result. The other game’s result obviously helps us. We will go into the last game going to win the game. It’s very hard to go and just play for a point or a draw.
We’re playing a good side – but we want to use the whole Celtic Park experience and the atmosphere to push us over the line.
Rodgers will undoubtedly be able to rely on a sold out Paradise to set the tone for the evening, with fans massively craving knockout European football after Christmas.
Taking confidence and momentum into the fixture is crucial and that will begin as early as this Sunday when we have the chance to pick up our first silverware of the season against Aberdeen at Hampden. Winning the Scottish League Cup will start off a busy December perfectly.
After a difficult start to the 2018/19 campaign, the Hoops are now motoring and we can’t wait to see what Rodgers and his squad can achieve next.
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