Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers says his team were taught a ‘tough lesson’ in during the embarrassing capitulation at home to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League opener.
PSG breezed past the Hoops 5-0, thanks to goals from world most expensive player, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani, who scored a brace, and a Mikael Lustig own goal.
But according to the former Liverpool manager, who was encouraged by his team’s second half performance, it was a tough lesson his team will learn from.
“We could have been better in the first half, we were too passive, didn’t press well enough and stood off,” Rodgers said.
“In the first half-hour of the second half, we were much better but you can always concede against players of that quality.
“It’s a phenomenal squad that Paris have but I was proud of the players in the second half and the supporters were terrific tonight, they kept encouraging us.
“At this level you have to make the ball work, and you have to have that belief. In that opening period, there was too much space, the physicality wasn’t what it should have been – whoever we were playing, it wasn’t what we would like.
“We were much better in the second half, we had a couple of wee moments in the final third, but you have to give Paris credit.
“They showed why they’re going to be up there to win this competition. It’s a tough lesson, a harsh lesson for us. This is a level which is all about learning for us, and tonight we’ll learn from that.
Rodgers added that if his team are to achieve their aim of remaining in the CL, they have to start how they did in the second half.
“Tonight we were playing against world class opponents, but in the second half, it’s always easy to play at 0-3, [and] I want them to start like that.
” If we get better we can achieve the main aim, which is European football after Christmas.”
