Brendan Rodgers hails 'sensational' Celtic performance
Thursday 3 August 2017 09:33, UK
Boss Brendan Rodgers described Celtic's performance as "sensational" after James Forrest's second-half strike gave the Hoops a 1-0 win over Rosenborg and took them another step towards Champions League football.
Following the goalless draw at Parkhead last week, the Scottish champions again started without their only two recognised centre forwards Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths - the latter came off the bench in tension-filled Trondheim after recovering from a calf injury - with winger Forrest asked to move into the middle.
The Scotland international was thwarted in the first half in the Lerkendal Stadion but in the 69th minute, he fired high past 'keeper Andre Hansen to take the Parkhead club into Friday's play-off draw with a 1-0 aggregate win.
Celtic had to cope with the absence of defender Erik Sviatchenko, who returned from injury but hobbled off in the 25th minute to be replaced by midfielder Nir Bitton.
Rodgers said: "It was a big performance. Take away the win, what was important for me was the maturity.
"This time last year I was going into these games with a hope that we could go through, to try to find a way.
"To come out here and play to that level with that composure - everyone was talking about the pressure of the game so to play that way was sensational, really.
"I am really delighted with the players, how they managed the game, how they kept their nerve and courage to play, yes it was a great victory for us."
Celtic will face either, Qarabag, Astana, Rijeka, Slavia Prague or Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the play-off and Rodgers said: "When the draw comes it is going to be one of those anxious moments again at some point over the two legs, but like I say, 12 months on it is a different mentality and feel.
"The squad are happy to go through but as I now expect that - and that comes from the belief of how they work and how they play. Whoever we get it will be a tough game and my focus now will be on Hearts (on Saturday)."
Rosenborg manager Kare Ingebrigtsen said: "We should have scored in Glasgow, that's where we lost it.
"We put some pressure on them but in the best period of our game they scored a goal, it is a clinical finish. Over two legs it was small margins."
