Brendan Rodgers had never felt better going into it. His Celtic side simply could not have looked any better once it got going.
It was a bright new format and a beaming first performance for the Parkhead club. Rodgers’ bullish nature and confidence in his unit was justified in stunning style. Inside a jubilant Celtic Park, his Bhoys showed this fresh competition might just bring a fresh surge of progress on the continent.
It was their biggest win in the Champions League proper and throughout the team they had quality performers. Liam Scales wasn’t meant to be Champions League class. Plenty thought he’d be one of the first replaced when Rodgers bought big for Europe’s top level, yet he keeps raising his bar and headed a brilliant opener to set Celtic on their way. Kyogo Furuhashi had already displayed his scoring ability at this level and the Japanese atoned for a couple of misses. His clinical edge was missing first half but he atoned straight after the interval before Arne Engels added the fresh class.
Rodgers’ £11million signing was sensational and his calm penalty kick ensured this would be a night to remember. Slovan took advantage of a slip to score through Kevin Wimmer but this was Celtic’s night and Daizen Maeda, a running machine all night, and sub Adam Idah took the tally to five.
After 12 failed attempts to win a group-stage opener, that bogey destroyed with just a fourth success for Rodgers in 25 post-qualification stage matches. Celts will face stiffer opposition in the next seven games but nothing should detract from their dazzling display. Any success was to be cherished. To do it in such a composed and clinical style was spectacular.
Amid the normal crackling pre-match atmosphere, there was a sense of
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