Maurizio Sarri has declared Celtic as the ones to watch in this year’s UEFA Champions League Group E section and insisted that the Hoops deserved more from their first fixture in European football this season. The Italian brings his side to Glasgow’s East End on Matchday Two and the game promises to be full of fireworks of our last encounter with the Roman side are anything to go by.
In 2019, Neil Lennon face-off against Simeone Inzaghi and his Lazio team and managed to outsmart the Italian both at home and abroad. The match at Celtic Park was electric and there was no love lost between both sets of supporters, with obvious cultural and political differences playing a large part in that dispute within the stands. Now Brendan Rodgers will have the chance to outwit the former Chelsea boss, Sarri, who nabbed a point right at the death from group favourites, Ateltico Madrid on Matchday One.
Ahead of the game, Sarri has been full of praise not just of Celtic, but their manager whom he knows from his time in the English Premier League. The Lazio boss reckons that the Bhoys could pose a significant threat for everyone in the group and has admitted he was surprised at how technically proficient his Scottish counterparts are with the ball, as well as the speed they have in transition. He said: “Celtic are a very dangerous side. They are also the least physical team in the group – they are very dynamic and really intense. They play with great speed and good movement.
He added: “I was surprised how good they are technically. Celtic deserved more against Feyenoord in the first game of the group. I didn’t think they deserved to lose. This is a different team from the one Rodgers had at Leicester. Celtic have more speed and more quality. Rodgers is a very good manager. He has had an excellent career. Celtic will be a big danger. They are the dark horses in the group.”
Join The Celtic Star at the Kerrydale on Thursday 19 October when we celebrate the launch of Matt Corr’s new book Majic, Stan and the King of Japan which tells the story of Gordon Strachan’s first season as Celtic manager. We’ll have the trophies that the Celtic team won that season plus well delighted welcome our special guests John Hartson and Stephen McManus, both stars of that Celtic team.
And we have other guests to be announced later this week plus there’s live music from the wonderful Boolavogue. Tickets are selling fast for what is sure to be a wonderful night of Celtic conversation and music and you can order below…
