Brendan Rodgers feels that defending – or a lack of – cost his Celtic team over two legs against Valencia.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted to the club’s official website that the manner of Valencia’s goal disappointed him last night.
The Spanish side dumped Celtic out of the Europa League at the last-32 phase by winning 1-0 at the Mestalla to seal a comprehensive 3-0 aggregate victory.
Kevin Gameiro fired home from close range on 70 minutes after wandering into the box unmarked.
The Hoops had Jeremy Toljan sent off for two bookable offences on 37 minutes, but Rodgers’s side were arguably the better team until that point and had a chance of overturning the 2-0 first-leg deficit.
But the defender’s dismissal put paid to their hopes of a stunning comeback, though the Northern Irish manager says that the defending over both legs is the major disappointment.
He told the club’s official website: “We tired a little bit towards the end, but still we could have done better for the goal.
“That’s been the difference over the two games – in the key moments we haven’t defended the best we might have.”
The Bhoys are eight points clear of Rangers in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, and will now turn their attentions toward winning a historic treble treble.
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