The famous mantra that Celtic MUST apply in Champions League as insider hears Brendan Rodgers loud and clear

Paradise is for us – Hell for the opposition.

The fly on the wall footage inside the Celtic dressing room showed Brendan Rodgers at his inspirational best. His rally call helped fire the Hoops over the finishing line as they wrapped up a Premiership and Scottish Cup Double. But Paulo Bernardo reckons that message means even more in the Champions League. Celtic have to make their home Hell for sides coming to Glasgow if the are to make it Paradise in this competition.

Parkhead used to be torture for visitors. Barcelona were the only side to beat Celts in Scotland in the Champions League across nine years under Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan. Big guns such as AC Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, Porto and Lyon all failed to win in these parts. But it has been a different story in recent times with the dead rubber win against Feyenoord the first victory on home soil in the competition in a decade.

Bernardo understands the importance of making Parkhead a fortress once more. The opener against Slovan Bratislava should be a huge opportunity to get off to a flier with Club Brugge, RB Leipzig and Young Boys Bern to follow.

Sure, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Aston Villa and Dinamo Zagreb will be tough on the their travels. But the new-look format and the home draws has opened the door, and the Rodgers’s mantra has never been more appropriate.

Bernardo said: “Yes, for sure. We are playing at home, our first game. We will try our best to win and make this stadium hell for them. It's always important that teams don't feel comfortable playing away. “Playing at home has to be an advantage for us. I think that was the message that the coach wanted to say to us because if we play well and we do our best in the game, the fans will