Liam Scales adamant Celtic must learn Champions League dark arts as Hoops get 'nothing' out of Euro refs

Liam Scales reckons Celtic can overcome naivety and bounce back by becoming more streetwise on the shady side of Europe.

The defender and his colleagues were exposed to a brutal education in their midweek mauling in Madrid. Atletico were brilliant in attack as, boasting a one- man advantage, they took apart Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys in swashbuckling fashion. But Diego Simeone’s side were equally cunning, with players hounding officials to bring about Daizen Maeda’s 23rd-minute red card.

The Japanese was the third Celt to be sent off in two Champions League away games in Group E after Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm were dismissed in Rotterdam. And Scales said: “It’s probably we’re a young team and maybe a bit naive at times. You play in Europe and you get nothing out of the referees. They’re a lot stricter and tackles you might get away with domestically, they give.

“With VAR, you’re going to pick up red cards in the way we’ve been doing. It’s frustrating because, with 11 players on the pitch, we had started the game quite well.

“I know we’d conceded before the red card – but we had quite a bit of the ball and it definitely would have been a more even game with 11 men.”

Atleti’s part in the key decision did not go down well with Rodgers as referee Ivan Kruzliak’s moved to upgrade Maeda’s punishment. Scales accepts the dark arts are a part of the game Celtic will have to learn if they want to take positive steps on the continent.

“Definitely,” said the 25-year-old Irishman. 'Atletico are definitely more street-smart than us, that’s for sure, the way they influence the referee.

“It’s not the nicest part of the game but it helps them win games – and we could definitely learn from it. You see the way they react, all