Callum McGregor makes ‘bold’ Champions League prediction for Celtic

Midweek, Lazio came from behind to win all three points at Parkhead, leaving Brendan Rodgers’ men without a point from their opening two games.
Callum McGregor believes Celtic have a chance to advance to the Champions League knockout stages.

Midweek, the Hoops faced heartbreak as Lazio came from behind to earn all three points at Parkhead due to Pedro’s 96th-minute winner. After a wonderful well-worked play from Brendan Rodgers’ men, Kyogo Furuhashi put the hosts up early on with his first goal at the top level.

After being pegged back by a bad set-piece goal, substitute Luis Palma thought he had given his side the lead again with less than ten minutes remaining as Celtic Park erupted. However, a VAR goal review found him offside following a tiny contact from Daizen Maeda before the Serie A side pounced at the death.

After being pegged back by a bad set-piece goal, substitute Luis Palma thought he had given his side the lead again with less than ten minutes remaining as Celtic Park erupted. However, a VAR goal review found him offside following a tiny contact from Daizen Maeda before the Serie A side pounced at the death.

Matchday one finished in a 2-0 loss to Feyenoord in Rotterdam with NINE men. However, the Hoops demonstrated their ability to contend before succumbing to a bad free-kick goal on the stroke of halftime. McGregor is aware that only a narrow margin exists between them and a result, but he insists that they MUST take something out from their meeting with Atletico Madrid in Glasgow.

He believes they can finish in the top two of the section with four games remaining, but if they don’t, they’ll have to fight for third place and Europa League football after Christmas, despite his insistence that the squad’s ambition and determination is to get out of the group.

 

 

Full Celtic Media Conference: Callum McGregor (11/08/21) - YouTube

 

“I think we still have to target getting out of the group,” he remarked. When we watch the games, there is no indication of the teams’ quality. It’s just a matter of tiny margins. We’ve played two games, and I don’t believe we have anything to be concerned about at this level.”The next game is crucial, and we must learn something from it.

The group is still close enough to make it through, if not to finish third and play European football after Christmas. The expectation and motivation in the locker room is to get out of the group.”

 

“When you play at this level, the teams have the ability to hurt you,” he continued. We had the ball for the last 15 to 20 minutes, but we made one error, and the boy scored with a fantastic header at the back post.

“At this level, you nearly have to be perfect. You practically can’t make mistakes since teams are capable of hurting you. A lot of it was excellent. We had control of the game and produced chances, and the more time you have with the ball, the less time they have to hurt you with it.

“Would we change our strategy? No, I don’t believe so. What we’re doing now is a continuation of what we’ve been doing for the past few years. We’re aiming to be more progressive, to have more of the ball. Celtic has always been founded on speed, offensive football, and dominance, and I don’t think that will change.

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