Brendan Rodgers aiming for big performance in first leg of 'huge' Champions League play-off

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will be looking to “set their standards” in the first leg of their Champions League play-off and to get a good result to take over to Kazakhstan.

The Hoops take on Kairat Almaty for a place in Europe’s top competition, and the manager is aiming for a good win at Parkhead to set themselves up for a daunting 7,000-mile trip to the Asian border.

Rodgers, who is hoping the Scottish champions can add to their squad before next week’s first leg, admits they would have preferred to play Slovan Bratislava, who they beat comfortably in the league phase last season.

Kairat beat the Slovakian champions on penalties midweek and now stand between Celtic and another shot at the Champions League.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Rodgers said: “If we’re being honest, then everyone would have preferred the closer team, and not the longer journey. But it is what it is. We have been there before, and in the first leg we will want to make a real push to set our standards on that game, and then we will go over there the following week and look to qualify.

“It is such a huge game, and when it comes, we will be ready for it.

“When we get there, we will be prepared and ready.”

Home advantage proved to be decisive for Celtic in their two previous games against opposition from Kazakhstan in the Champions League qualifiers.

In 2013 they lost 2-0 away to Karagandy before overturning that with a dramatic 3-0 victory at Celtic Park a week later.

Then in Rodgers’ first spell at the club they beat Astana 5-0 in the first leg, but found themselves 4-1 down in the return leg with 20 minutes to go before late goals from Olivier Ntcham and Leigh Griffiths secured a 8-4 aggregate win.

Rodgers said: “If you have your home leg first, then you always want to play well. And I think over the two legs we had in the game (against Astana) we did really good.

“There was a wee bit of a threat in game, which shouldn’t have been, we were 6-1 up on aggregate at halftime in the second-leg, and all of a sudden they got three goals from nowhere.

“It eventually finished 8-4 on aggregate, which makes it look really comfortable. But there was a period in that second game in the second half that wasn’t great.

“So we’ll get there, prepared and ready. And as I said, it’s such a huge game, so we’ll be really focused on that.

“Hopefully, we can add to the team before then. We have right up until the night before the game to add to the squad, so we hope that can be the case.

“We hope that we can improve it, and hopefully by then, we will do.

“I’m philosophical about (bringing new players in), the club has always done business towards the end of the window, all managers and coaches want players in as soon as we can, because you want to be as prepared as you possibly can be.

“What I think has gone unnoticed a little bit is that we have made a really good start, we have two wins from two, played well, and I know we will get better, but I can’t knock the performances over the two games to get the results.

“So I am just focusing on the guys that are here while lots of other stuff goes on in the background, and hopefully we can come out of the end of the transfer window in a good place.”