BRENDAN Rodgers hailed his dazzling Celtic side and is confident they’re now perfectly set-up to take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
The Hoops routed Saints at McDiarmid Park with a double from Kyogo Furuhashi plus efforts from Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and sub Adam Idah.
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Maeda also had a first half effort ruled out with the intervention of VAR.
Now, Celtic – top of the Premiership on goal difference – go to Germany for Tuesday night’s game brimming with confidence and desperate to get a result to back-up their matchday one triumph over Slovan Bratislava.
Rodgers – who could be without the crocked Cameron Carter-Vickers – said: “I felt tonight was an opportunity for us to show a real mentality.
“Before the game a lot of the focus was on the Champions League game on Tuesday.
“But I thought we had the chance to show a Champions League mentality – and from the first whistle to the very last whistle, the players were absolutely brilliant.
“Defensively strong, counter-pressing, incredible, great attitude to win the ball back.
“The other work, that gives you the opportunity to be as creative and free-flowing.
“And obviously the goals were fantastic goals.
“So, yes, a perfect night for us.
“I like the goals to come from all areas of the field, at the top end and in the midfield area.
“So I thought all the goals were very, very good.
“We win the duels, all these important things, which, like I said, they might not look important in the stands, but from a coach and players’ perspective, they’re absolutely vital.
“I forgot the one that was disallowed. It should never have been disallowed.
“If you watch it back, Austin loses his marker and their player steps into his space and bumps him.
“Yeah, we’re in a really good way for Dortmund.
“I think mostly for me, the performance level is something that I always concentrate on.
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“And obviously the consequence of that would be results. But I look at the rhythm in the team, I look at the speed in the team, I look at the hunger in the team.
“Listen, we’re going to play a top team in their home patch.
“But I’m really excited to see how we can play against it.
“Borussia are a very good side, got really good players.
“But for us, we can go there, impose our style in the game.
“And I always say, in every game we play, as long as we try and we press and we attack and we fight, let’s see where it takes us.”
Asked if they can make it a difficult night for Borussia, Rodgers responded: “Yes, 100%.
“We’ve got real speed, we’ve got physicality. And we can dig in, which is important.
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“Borussia is a team on a really, really high level.
“They have top players.
“But I’m really looking forward to seeing how we measure up against that.”
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Meanwhile, on stopper Carter-Vickers’ chances of travelling to Germany after missing Perth through a troublesome foot injury, the Celts boss said: “I don’t know. I’ll know tomorrow, see where he’s at.”
Rodgers, meanwhile, also revealed he took off left-back Greg Taylor as a precaution after he complained of muscle tightness.
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