Brendan Rodgers has urged Celtic to draw energy from the power of Parkhead and surge into the play-offs of the Champions League.
An electrifying home win over Bundesliga high fliers RB Leipzig earlier this month placed the Scottish champions on seven points from four fixtures.
Victory over Club Brugge in Glasgow on Wednesday night would secure the points total expected to seal a place in the top 24 of UEFA’s new-look format, with three games still to play.
After a decade without a home win against Europe’s elite, Celtic have now won three-in-a-row, and Rodgers wants players and supporters to come together once more to create another memorable night.
‘It’s another opportunity to show the power of Celtic Park,’ said the Parkhead boss.
Celtic manager Rodgers is looking forward to home advantage against Club Brugge
Nicolas Kuhn will hope to be the hero again after shooting down RB Leipzig
Kyogo Furuhashi will be ready to play a major role against the Belgian visitors
‘I’ve got absolutely no doubt that every team and their supporters will feel that their football ground is special, to be there, to play there — and I respect that.
‘But I know this club and I know the fans and I know the stadium, so I know how special it really is to play here and how difficult it can be (for the opposition).
‘What you have to be able to do is match that with the performance – and that’s something that has really pleased me in these recent home games in the Champions League.
‘So it’s not just a tick box for players to come here and clubs to come and say they’ve played at Celtic Park, but it’s to come and realise you’re going to be in for a game here and that combination of the support base and the team making it a really difficult night.’
Beginning the group phase with a 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava, Rodgers’ team suffered a bruising set-back with a 7-1 hammering in Dortmund.
A 0-0 draw against Europa League winners Atalanta in Italy regained some ground before a statement victory over Leipzig raised hopes of a top-24 finish in the new one-league format at least.
After Club Brugge Celtic have one more home game against Young Boys of Switzerland, plus trips to Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa.
Auston Trusty looks determined to help the Celtic side keep a clean sheet
Paulo Bernardo was obviously feeling the cold as he took to the Celtic training ground
Fail to beat the Belgian champions tonight and other opportunities will present themselves. Mindful of the impact Parkhead can have on even experienced opponents, however, Rodgers wants his players to take full advantage.
‘It’s probably more when you listen to other players,’ he said when asked about the impact of Celtic’s home cauldron. ‘But also I listen to my own players. It’s the feeling that it brings here. And we don’t take it for granted.
‘If there was a hope when I came back here (for his second spell in charge), it was to have that off the field — that fire and that passion and emotion. And bring that onto the field as well with performance level and a level of football that excites. So that was the challenge.
‘And you can see when that is all connected, what it brings. Like the Leipzig match, the feeling that it gives, not just for that night, but the supporters the next day and for days after. The feeling of watching the team compete at European level and play at a level of football. So that’s what we want to bring.’
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