Dinamo management swings for Celtic with Champions League truth bomb, while Rodgers makes the ‘honest’ decision.
Dinamo Zagreb manager Nenad Bjelica believes his side deserved to win the Champions League tie with Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers’ squad controlled the ball throughout the league phase match, finishing with 68% possession after 90 minutes. However, an enraged Bjelica dismissed the data during a fiery post-match address, as the under-pressure Dinamo manager saw his hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages dashed by the Scottish Premiership leaders.
Croatian champions presently have eight points, but face Arsenal and Milan at the end of the league phase, making it unlikely that they will add to their total as they strive for a top 24 ranking. But Bjelica came out swinging after the match, claiming, “My players played an outstanding game today.
They accomplished everything I asked of them, and we did not allow the opponent to get away with anything. “We had a terrific opportunity from Pjaca and two efforts from Baturina, so if anyone should have won, it was us. Rog and Kacavenda did an outstanding job in the centre; neither are defensive midfielders, but they played wonderfully defensively. They also contributed some momentum wherever they could.”
In contrast, Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic’s Dinamo tie was a missed opportunity. The manager is thrilled that his team is still on pace for the playoffs, having extended its advantage to nine points with two games left in January. When asked if it seemed like a missed opportunity to win his first away game in the competition in seven years, Rodgers responded, “Yeah, it does, but I feel that’s my honest answer. We needed to do more and comprehend.
“But we know, and it’s the truth. We were honest as a group; we knew it was an opportunity for us here, but you have to demonstrate that a little more in those moments when you’re right back in there. Too frequently, it just slipped away from us. The pitch was a little tough in places, but by the final third, there was nothing.
“You could see it from the shots on target we had, so it was really the only negative aspect of the game for us. We had amazing energy and commitment.
“Ultimately, we were unable to achieve that breakthrough. We had a great move. Arne [Engels] squares it, and the defender performs a fantastic block.
“I think the positive is that we came away again, were defensively strong, and did not concede.” Obviously, having the confidence to do so in Europe will help you move further.”It’s in the Champions League, you keep a clean sheet and get a point away from home, and you’re not thrilled. Then you’ll see how far the team has come.”
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