Brendan Rodgers says Celtic are under "no illusions" they are in for a tough test against Borussia Dortmund in front of the 'Yellow Wall' in the Champions League.
Celtic got off to a flying start in the last round, brushing aside Slovan Bratislava 5-1 last month to win their Champions League opener for the first time, and sit second in the table behind Bayern Munich.
Having also won their final group-stage match last season, Rodgers' side are looking to win three consecutive matches in the competition for the first time since 1976.
But coming up against last season's runners-up, who began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge, is a different prospect for the Scottish champions.
Asked if this was the "acid test" for his side, Rodgers said: "I think this level is about as much about the head as it is about the skill. I don't doubt that with this team.
"I think we arrive in a great place. I am very relaxed and focused that we can get a result that builds on the first result."
Celtic have started the season in fine form and top the Scottish Premiership having won all six of their games, scoring 20 goals while conceding none.
Despite their strong start, Rodgers is looking back to pre-season to draw inspiration, after beating Manchester City and Chelsea in friendlies, scoring four times past both in back-to-back matches.
"I track it back to pre-season," he said. "The games that we played there, played some big teams and how we wanted to play at this level.
"We got off to a very good start in the last round, so we come here to a stadium very much like Celtic Park in that they breathe football, and we're very excited by the challenge.
"We are under no illusions that we are up against a team who are challenging at the very top of elite football, but for us, I've always said, whether domestically or away in this competition, it is about making us very difficult to play against with and without the ball.
"Offensively, Dortmund are very good. They lost some players in the summer, but I look at the team, and they have some fantastic players in that middle-to-top area, so will put you on the back foot at times.
"It is a top side with top players, and we have to be right on it to get a good performance and result."
Michel backs injury-hit Girona to perform on historic home outing
Girona have been rocked by a couple of injury blows ahead of the first home Champions League game in their history, but coach Michel says they will go all out to beat Feyenoord.
The Catalan side, who qualified for Europe's premier club competition for the first time by finishing third in LaLiga last season, lost 1-0 at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday one.
On the domestic front, they played out a 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo on Sunday, losing key men Oriol Romeu and Daley Blind to injury.
The former is expected to miss around eight weeks with the latter likely to be sidelined for a month, but Michel is choosing to remain upbeat ahead of Girona's historic outing.
"It's our new reality. We need to take it one game at a time," Michel told reporters ahead of Wednesday's game at the Estadi Montilivi.
"The midfield without Romeu is short-handed. But tomorrow, we need the best possible eleven to win. We have to look at it like that.
"I'm especially worried about the psychological issue. Romeu didn't play against Rayo Vallecano and got injured. The most important thing is that the head is fine. My concern is to go game by game and the team that plays will be the best possible."
After going toe-to-toe with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona for much of the last campaign, Girona are now being tested by the best sides in Europe and Michel acknowledged it is a challenge to juggle domestic and continental duties.
Girona have had an underwhelming start to the season in LaLiga, winning two and drawing three of their eight matches to sit 12th with nine points.
"The pressure of playing LaLiga and Champions League is difficult. We want to win because making history in the Champions League is a dream for us and for our fans, those who will be on the pitch and those who will be away," Michel said.
"Hearing the Champions League anthem at home will be historic in Girona. The maturity of this squad is great. We have players with a lot of experience who know how to handle this situation.
"From my perspective as a coach, from a management point of view, it is easier to manage the change towards the Champions League.
"From the 'boom' of playing in the Champions League you need to return to the reality of the league, which is what is going to give us the possibility to continue growing."
Man City players have 'exciting' chance to fill in for Rodri, says Stones
John Stones says that while Manchester City will miss Rodri, his absence will give other players in the team a chance to shine.
The Spaniard suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that required surgery in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on September 22.
Rodri played 50 matches in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side last season, proving a key player as they won a fourth-consecutive top-flight title.
The team often struggled without him in the squad though, with their win rate dropping from 76% to 55.6% in the nine games they played without him.
With Kevin De Bruyne also currently on the sidelines, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan played in midfield in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.
And Stones, who has also been utilised in midfield by Guardiola in the past, says it is an exciting opportunity for the other players to step into the role.
"He's a big miss for us, we all know that," Stones told TNT Sports.
"We're still in contact off the pitch, and we miss him on there, as we do anyone who gets injured.
"We all wish him a speedy recovery. He's a big presence for us on the pitch in how he plays the game and what he's done over the past few years.
"But then again, we've got incredible players that can play in that position, and it's time and a chance for them to, not step up, but step in and show their qualities, whoever plays in that position which is quite fluid sometimes.
"He'll be a big miss for us this season, as anyone would who had that injury. It's exciting for us as players to fill that position and see what comes of it."
City's next match is against Slavan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Javier Brown's late strike the difference as Portmore United edge Tivoli Gardens 2-1 for first win
Portmore United finally broke their winless run in the 2024/25 Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season when they edged Tivoli Gardens in a come-from-behind 2-1 scoreline at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday night.
The victory, secured by a late strike from substitute Javier Brown in the 89th minute, marked the St Catherine-based club’s first taste of success after three games, lifting the weight of early season pressure from their shoulders.
Junior Grizzelle (45+1) also struck for Portmore United, after 19-year-old Nickalia Fuller gave Tivoli Gardens a 40th-minute lead.
With the win, Portmore United moved up the standings from 13th to 10th, giving their fans and coach Rudolph Austin reason to hope that a revival is on the cards.
“It was a really good performance by the team; they went out there and they executed what we planned throughout the week, so hats off to them. They showed a lot of character when they went down and came back and won the game so that was brilliant. The fight they showed is the Portmore United I know, work hard, play to the end, and win games.
“That is why we won seven championships, so that is what I want my players to always do; go out and express themselves. Even if you make a mistake, keep going. So hopefully this is the start of a successful run for us but one thing I can tell you is that I won’t let up,” Austin declared in a post-game interview.
Romeo Guthrie marshalled Portmore United's midfield.
The former Reggae Boy turned coach also heaped praise on former Arnett Garden stalwart Romeo Guthrie, whose performance—marked by two assists—reinforced the importance of the team’s creative spark.
But the night belonged to former Vere United captain Brown, the unlikely hero who ensured Portmore United ended with three precious points.
“When I used to play against Vere United, he [Brown] was always in our box, so I knew he had that in him, and he was hungry to deliver for us. But I can’t leave out Guthrie; I think he had a very good game... all the guys played well, but I think Guthrie was outstanding,” Austin added.
The match unfolded as a one-sided affair for the most part, as Portmore United dictated the pace and forced Tivoli Gardens back for long spells. In fact, they peppered Tivoli’s goal with 15 shots, 10 of which were on target, displaying a level of control and intent that had been missing in their earlier fixtures.
Grizzelle fired Portmore United’s first warning shot in the third minute that caught Tivoli Gardens’ goalkeeper Diego Haughton off his line, but the effort kissed the crossbar on its way out.
Five minutes later, Jahien Rose also pulled the trigger from a distance, but that shot was tipped over by Haughton diving full stretch.
Tivoli Gardens later settled and went close through Fuller, who drove into the 18-yard box and got off a left-footed effort that was kept out by Daniel Russell in goal for Portmore United.
However, Fuller, a former Excelsior High standout, broke the deadlock on his second attempt, as he released a delightful left-footed strike from a tight angle outside the 18-yard box that had Russell well beaten.
That was all the West Kingston team would get as they only mustered four shots, with Fuller’s efforts the only two on target.
Such was Portmore United’s dominance from that point on as Guthrie stamped his mark on the game. The industrious playmaker, who was at the heart of most of Portmore United’s attacking moves, provided the assist for the equaliser on the stroke of the interval.
He dispossessed a defender deep in Tivoli Gardens quarters and played off a pass for Grizzelle, whose tap in left Haughton rooted to the spot as they went to the break with the score levelled at 1-1.
Junior Grizzelle scored the opener.
But even with the scores level, the momentum never truly shifted away from Portmore after the interval. They pressed forward relentlessly in a sustained attacking spell that forced Tivoli to defend deep and absorb pressure.
Tedj Bryan should have put Portmore United ahead in the 47th when he picked up a poor clearance from Haughton, but his tame effort was kept out by the custodian, who stuck out the right leg.
They thought they had the breakthrough in the 65th when Okelo Howard played a timely through pass into the final third for Tarick Ximines to finish, but the goal was called back for an offside.
Ximines was at it again in the 75th as he outmuscled a defender on his way towards goal. However, his final effort was denied by Haughton's outstretched right leg.
As the clock ticked down, it seemed the go-ahead goal would elude Portmore United, and they would have to settle for another frustrating draw.
Enter Brown, who replaced Ximines in the attack.
In the dying embers of the match, Guthrie once again turned provider, threading a clever pass into Brown’s path. With a burst of pace and a clinical finish, Brown drove a firm right-footer past the slightly advanced Haughton to send the Portmore bench and fans into frenzy.
Tivoli Gardens Head coach Jerome Waite acknowledged that his team needs to be sharper and more assertive as their defensive effort was found wanting, while their inability to match Portmore United’s intensity was glaring.
“We defeated ourselves because the two goals came from poor defensive errors and Portmore United capitalised on both of them. It is our second game, so we still have a lot of work to do, and at the same time they will have to learn and understand where the system of play is concerned,” Waite said.
Matchweek 3 Results
Harbour View 2, Molynes United 1
Vere United 1, Humble Lion 1
Waterhouse 0, Cavalier 2
Arnett Gardens 1, Racing United 1
Chapelton Maroons 0, Montego Bay United 1
Portmore United 2, Tivoli Gardens 1
Dunbeholden vs Mount Pleasant (Postponed)
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
