Yahoo Sports Rodgers eyes 'respect' with Champions League progress
Brendan Rodgers says his Celtic players have the chance to prove they have "matured" in the Champions League and have earned "respect" at European level should they beat Young Boys on Wednesday.
One more win will almost certainly be enough to take the Scottish champions into the knock-out phase of the competition.
"It's a great position to be in and it's a game we're really excited about," manager Rodgers said. "The Champions League story so far has been, in the main, really good for us and especially at home.
"It's been a challenging decade for this club because of resources and everything else, but I think we're starting to see that we really can compete - and not just compete but play to a level of football that's synonymous with this club."
Asked what qualification would mean, Rodgers said it would show his players had "matured" and had earned "respect" throughout Europe.
While Celtic sit 21st, with nine points from their six games, the Swiss champions lie bottom of the 36 teams, having yet to take a single point.
Fortunes hardly improved after Patrick Rahman was replaced with interim boss Joel Magnin and they head to Glasgow under former national assistant boss Giorgio Contini, who was appointed last month.
Domestically, Young Boys also sit ninth and were held to a goalless home draw by bottom side Winterthur in their first game following their winter break.
However, Rodgers stressed that "obviously you have to respect every team at this level", saying "they are what you'd expect a team of this level to have - athletic ability and quality".
The Northern Irishman said it is more about ensuring his own side continue "to really press and continue to attack the game for 90-plus minutes".
"They understand the magnitude of the game," he said. "The occasion is absolutely massive for us, but the key in games like this here is that you play the game and not the occasion."
Celtic progressed to the last 16 of the Scottish Cup with a 2-1 win at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday after what Rodgers described as a marathon series of fixtures.
"But, listen, people don't want to hear you're tired," he added. "It's natural, there's fatigue. But we've had enough good time to recover now and now we're ready and ready to go."
Team news
Scotland winger James Forrest remains Celtic's only absentee through injury.
On-loan Troyes defender Abdu Conte has been missing for Young Boys through injury since 7 December, but fellow centre-half Tanguy Zoukrou returned from three months out injured to face Winterthur on Saturday.
Former Celtic right-back Saidy Janko has been sidelined since the start of the season, but one-time Rangers striker Cedric Itten, Young Boys' top scorer this season, is likely to start up front.
Midfielder Rayan Raveloson was signed on Saturday from Auxerre but is ineligible to play.
Young Boys eye rebirth under Contini
It would appear there could be no better visitors for Celtic.
Young Boys head to Glasgow with the worst defensive record in the Champions League, conceding five to Barcelona and Stuttgart and six at home to Atalanta, having scored only three in their six games.
The Berne side have never won an away fixture in their four Champions League and have made their worst start to a domestic league season this century.
Interim boss Magnin had steadied the ship before Contini was enticed from his position as national assistant and, although they lie ninth in the incredibly competitive Super League, they are only eight points adrift of leaders Lugano.
However, an inauspicious 0-0 draw with bottom side Winterthur at the weekend hardly got Contini's reign off to a blistering start as they try to climb the table in defence of the title they won by 12 points last season - a sixth in seven years and a 17th overall.
Contini opted to play 22-year-old Marvin Keller in goal instead of stalwart David von Ballmoos, young French defender Tanguy Zoukrou returned from three months out injured to partner captain Loris Benito, who himself is not long back from a lengthy spell out, while neither full-back – Jaouen Hadjam or Lewin Blum – has been a mainstay in the team.
To be fair, Filip Ugrinic in central midfield has started all but one this season and Lukasz Lakomy alongside him has been a regular since recovering from injury at the end of October.
Behind Itten, Darian Males and Joel Monteiro do offer a scoring threat as well as creativity, while Ebrima Colley, who also got the nod at the weekend, is still to find a first goal since making last season's loan move from Atalanta permanent.
Read Alasdair Lamont's analysis in full.
Match statistics
Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic are unbeaten in five in the Champions League matches at home and 29 in all competitions.
Young Boys, who sit ninth in the Swiss top flight, have only won one of their latest nine games away from home.
Young Boys have not won any of their 11 away games in the Champions League, losing nine of them.
The sides have played twice previously, with a 0-0 draw in Switzerland before a single own goal gave Celtic victory in Glasgow in the Europa League in 1993.
Young Boys have lost two and won one of their six games against Scottish teams, their latest being a 2-1 home defeat of Rangers before drawing 1-1 at Ibrox in the Europa League in 2019.
Celtic have won 11 and lost four of their 18 matches against Swiss opponents, the latest being 3-0 victories home and away over Sion in the Europa League in 2011.
Celtic have never lost at home to a Swiss side, winning eight and drawing the other - 1-1 with Zurich, who would win the Uefa Cup tie 5-3 on aggregate, in 1998.
