Brendan Rodgers rejects Celtic support act billing as stars urged to steal the show with Lazio sequel

Brendan Rodgers is adamant Celtic are no Champions League support act as they aim to make history against Atletico Madrid.

The Parkhead side will attempt to become the club’s first ever to win in Spain as they tackle the La Liga cracks. Rodgers’ team are massive underdogs against Diego Simeone’s superstars but the boss believes his side can upset the odds. The manager is adamant the message again is to play without fear as the Scottish champions look for glory in the Civitas Metropolitan.

Rodgers said: “We are not out here just to be a support act. Listen, we understand and we respect and we saw in the first game what a really good team they are and the system will challenge you. You really have to defend well as a team against their front two but why not? Some of the comments made by Diego after the first game, we maybe have surprised the other teams we have played because of the intensity and the quality and the football.

“Okay, we might not be in the top European leagues but we can play to a level that can be dangerous.”

Celtic busted their Italian hoodoo exactly four years ago when beating Lazio whom, ironically, they will face in their next Group E match later this month. Rodgers says his troops are excited by the challenge in place against Atletico as they hunt a Rome repeat and said: “Absolutely. Went to the capital, we’re in the capital here. How we play the game is to impose our game. I always think it is just you want the players to come off and have played with no fear.

“You can lose any game, especially against top teams and top players but don’t come off disappointed. That’s what we have said at all the games. Go and impose our game. Look at Feyenoord, we did that. Look at Lazio, we did that and certainly