Brendan Rodgers hopes Celtic can dish out humble pie slices as arrogant pundits write off Champions League hopes

Celtic have been already written off as Champions League no hopers by arrogant Dutch pundits.

But Brendan Rodgers reckons his Hoops side might just make a few of them eat their words. The Scottish champs kick off their campaign in Holland on Tuesday night in Feyenoord’s famous De Kuip bear pit. Outspoken Dutch broadcaster Aad de Mos has already claimed the points will be like taking sweeties from a wean as the Parkhead men play ‘childish, attacking football’. Meanwhile former Feyenoord star Karim El Ahmadi shrugged off injury concepts up front, insisting his old club could play without a striker as Celtic ‘just won’t have the ball’.

Rodgers will have one eye on Europe against Dundee in the Premiership today and he’s refusing to take the bait from the cocky continentals. But he does believe he’s got a trick or two up his sleeve and he said: “Can we surprise them? I would think so. I haven’t seen the comments but we will always be underdogs for some. We are the pot four team. Obviously we are a huge club with tremendous history, but people who don’t know that will just see it as a pot four team from a smaller country.

“That’s the beauty of it. That could be the surprise element we bring to games. People might not expect us to be as good as we can be. We’ll go into every game with the mentality to fight, to be competitive and organised, and play to the level we want to. We will certainly go in with no fear.”

Rodgers isn’t just looking to surprise the Dutch though. He might need to stun a few of his own fans with the Champions League bringing excitement and trepidation in equal measure.

It’s been a bruising area for the Hoops in recent years and this time around Rodgers will be going in with one hand tied behind his