Brendan Rodgers is hoping his side can use the Celtic Park atmosphere to help them “hurt” Bayern Munich when they host the Bundesliga giants in the Champions League.
The Hoops boss describes the six-time European champions as “football royalty” and is excited to test himself and his team against that level of opposition.
But he insists he doesn’t want the experience of visiting Parkhead to be just a “box-ticking” exercise for the visitors. He hopes that the famous cauldron of noise can be used to Celtic’s advantage and give Vincent Kompany’s men a “difficult night.”
There will be 60,000 fans inside the stadium, with the vast majority in green and white, and while Rodgers knows they will be massive underdogs, he is hopeful that they can get a result that will give them a puncher’s chance of progressing to the last-16.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the manager said: “When we come here (to Celtic Park), it’s not just a tick-box exercise for players to come and say they’ve played at Celtic Park, you want them to hurt in this arena as well and you want them to find that combination between the supporters and the players on the pitch to be a really difficult night for them.
“And we have started to do that again recently.
“It’s important for us that we stay alive in the tie for going over to Germany and that is the key message from us.
“But we want to go and perform, we are not frightened to lose, that’s not what this is about, it’s about going and performing.
“So if we can perform well like we have shown in this competition, especially at home, then hopefully we can get what we deserve.”
Bayern Munich is currently nine points ahead of current champions Bayer Leverkusen in the German top-flight. They look to regain their stranglehold on German football after a rare trophyless season last season.
They also have proven top-class international stars such as England captain Harry Kane, legendary Germany forward Thomas Muller and exciting youngster Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies, who will come up against Canada teammate Alistair Johnston.
And Rodgers knows they will give his Premiership league leaders a stern test.
He continued: “We are playing one of the teams that will probably see themselves as one of the favourites for the competition. They have some wonderful talent, Vincent (Kompany) has gone in there and done a really good job with some top young players and some really experienced players.
“I can’t wait for that because that is what you look forward to as a coach.
“They really are football royalty with what they have achieved over many, many years at this level. So for us to be in a position where we can challenge them is a real marker for us.”
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