Brendan Rodgers says Celtic must hit Leipzig levels to batter Brugge.
The Parkhead side go into the clash with the Belgians flying after clipping Red Bull’s wings in their last Champions League outing. But, assessing the next challenge, Rodgers warned: “Yeah, equally as tough. I think the world probably thinks that, okay, you play really hard games against Atalanta and Red Bull Leipzig and then everything else is fine, but it’s the Champions League.
“Every game is a very, very tough game and this game will be another big examination for us. I’ve watched some of the games and I’ve watched the Villa game. Very well coached, you can see they know their roles, know their jobs. The front line is fast and dynamic. Simon (Mignolet), the goalkeeper I had at Liverpool, a very experienced guy who’s very calm. He was a fantastic goalkeeper in the Premier League and he came into Liverpool and did really, really well.
“I haven’t seen him for a long time, so it’ll be good to see him. He’s a very good shotstopper. He’s obviously got a lot of experience. Good coming for crosses. So that mix of real young, hungry players and who have had experience at the level.
“Teams like Club Brugge are not teams that are probably spoken about a lot, maybe in the same echelons of some of these other big names. But these are teams that you cannot underestimate. They’re very experienced at the level. They’ve got some fantastic players, a very good coach who’s stepped up and taken them and works them very, very well. So we have to be mindful of that.
“What you would expect at this level, dynamic, creative, will run, will work hard. So it’ll be a difficult opponent. You’ve got to be really efficient.”
Rodgers has Arne Engels in his dressing room, who was at Club Brugge as a youngster, and also Kasper Schmeichel, who spent last term at Anderlecht. The pair will have some info, but the boss said: “They’ll maybe know some of the players. Obviously, Arne had come through there and Kasper playing against them. But I haven’t spoken directly to them on anything.
“It’ll be more for themselves. They might speak to the players. But we’ve done all our analysis on them and they will reiterate, I’m sure. They’re a good side.”