Manchester City star Pablo Zabaleta comments on Celtic

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The Scottish Premiership side are City’s next opponents in their Champions League group.

Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta

Manchester City star Pablo Zabaleta has told The Scottish Sun that he does not agree with anyone who claims that Celtic are the weakest team in their Champions League group.

The two sides meet at Parkhead at the end of the month. And while City got their campaign off to a flyer with a 4-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach, Brendan Rodgers’ men suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona.

Scott Brown with Brendan Rodgers after Celtic’s defeat to Barcelona

And while the group’s current standings will resemble how some will be expecting it to look after six matches – with Barcelona at the top going through with the Citizens, while the Hoops fall out of Europe altogether – Zabaleta has insisted that his side cannot afford to write their next opponents off.

“Next up are Celtic and we are paying no attention to their loss at Barcelona, which we know is a difficult place to go and play,” he told The Scottish Sun.

Celtic Park

“People have said they are the weakest team in the group but I don’t agree.

“They may have had a bad day at the Nou Camp but they are strong in their own stadium and we’re expecting every game to be difficult.

“But we’ll go to Parkhead and try to get three points and play the same way we did against Monchengladbach.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers

While the defender is refusing to suggest that Celtic cannot qualify out of what appears to be this season’s ‘Group of Death’, Rodgers’ side certainly face an uphill task if they hope to open their account in their next game.

Since Pep Guardiola arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer, City have won all seven competitive games they have played, conceding just four and scoring 21 along the way.

But as the Argentinian alluded to, while the Bhoys endured a tough night in the Nou Camp, they appear to find another gear on European nights in front of their own fans, so they will fancy their chances of springing a surprise.