Tuesday 22 November 2016 18:37, UK
Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic have the quality to challenge Barcelona and insists there will be no humiliation when the two sides meet again in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Hoops suffered a 7-0 mauling at the hands of the Spanish champions earlier this season - the heaviest European defeat in Celtic's 129-year history.
Celtic bounced back to record a 3-3 draw at home to Manchester City in round two and Rodgers is expecting to see an improved performance against the Catalans.
"We're playing them [Barcelona] again at home but it doesn't mean the game is going to be any easier," Rodgers said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Certainly our mentality will be different because the players showed that, from that Barcelona game, going into the next game against Manchester City, they had changed.
"[It will be] a tough game, of course - they're a top class, world-class team with arguably the best front three that has ever played for Barcelona. But I would hope that it would be a different performance from ourselves."
Despite salvaging a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach last time out, Celtic remain bottom of Group C with just two points from four games played.
The Hoops need to beat Barcelona to have any hope of reaching the last 16 of the competition and Rodgers admits his defence will have to be at their very best to keep out the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
"You go into the game having to really think about your defensive organisation," Rodgers said. "We watched the Manchester City game, analysed that, and the game before, and even when you're super organised they're a team of quality that can play through that press.
"We have to play how we've been playing, which is really aggressive and on the front foot.
"Having a tactical plan to really be aggressive in the game but also be mindful that, if they beat that press, then you have to recover very quickly and be hard to beat in your half of the field.
"But when you're playing against this quality of team you also have to have a bit of luck, so when your opportunities come, you can take them."
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