Rodgers: Celtic prepared for rare Champions League away win against Dinamo Zagreb

Brendan Rodgers believes his in-form Celtic side are primed to pull off their first away win in the Champions League for more than seven years when they face Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian capital later today.

The Hoops have not savoured victory on the road in the group stage of Europe's elite competition since a 3-0 triumph over Anderlecht in Brussels in September 2017. That was in the second season of Rodgers’ first spell in charge.

After taking eight points from the first five matches of this season’s competition, including a 0-0 draw against Atalanta in their last away match, the manager is determined to see the Scottish champions take the "next step" in their progression by conjuring a statement victory overseas.

"To win away from home, because you know what it means to supporters as well as the points and you know that an away win at any level, but in particular in the Champions League, is a difficult challenge, it’s one that gives a real good feeling," Rodgers said at his pre-match media briefing in the Maksimir Stadium on Monday night. "So, for us, it’s the next step.

"You go to Atalanta and you defend how we did there, that gives you a bit of confidence to know that you can go into any stadium and defend well. And we hope that we can then bring our attacking game alongside that. We know that when we do that, it gives us an opportunity to get that win."

Asked if he felt his team were now operating at a level where they should be confident about winning away in the Champions League, Rodgers said: "I don’t think there’s any doubt. I think working with this group now over the last 15, 16 months, whatever it is, I feel we’re in a really, really good place.

"And I know we can arrive into these games now having made some big