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Rodgers keen for Celtic to use home atmosphere and ‘hurt’ Bayern Munich

<span>Daizen Maeda has been cleared by Uefa to face Bayern Munich after Celtic appealed his two-match ban.</span><span>Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA</span>
Daizen Maeda has been cleared by Uefa to face Bayern Munich after Celtic appealed his two-match ban.Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Brendan Rodgers wants Bayern Munich to experience “hurt” at Celtic Park after taking pride in his team’s European improvement this season.

Bayern’s visit to Glasgow marks the first time since 2013 that Celtic will play knockout Champions League football, with Rodgers contemplating his most significant scalp yet. Celtic are the heavy underdogs to see off the German giants over two legs but Rodgers has challenged his players to keep the tie competitive before they head to the Allianz Arena next week. Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig and Young Boys have already been defeated at Celtic Park this season, with the hosts unbeaten in their last half-dozen home European games.

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“It’s where I wanted to take the club back to,” Rodgers said. “It’s not just a tick-box exercise for players to come and say they’ve played at Celtic Park. You want them to hurt in this arena as well and you want them to find the challenges of that combination between the supporters and the players on the pitch, making it a really, really difficult night And we’ve started to do that. Obviously this will be a massive test of that, but that’s what we sign up for.”

Rodgers is not underestimating the challenge against Bayern, describing the club as “football royalty”. Celtic’s cause has, however, been boosted by the availability of Daizen Maeda after Uefa downgraded an original two-game ban for his red card in the game against Young Boys to a single match.

“What is important for us is that we’re very much alive in the tie going over to Germany,” Rodgers said. “That would be the key message for us. But we want to go and perform. We’re not frightened to lose, that’s not what this is about. This is about going and performing and if we can perform well, like we’ve shown in this competition, especially at home, hopefully we can get what we deserve. Our mindset looking into the game is to win the game to see if we can take an advantage across the next week.”

Rodgers was effusive in his praise of Harry Kane when recalling watching the development of the striker as a youngster at Tottenham. Kane’s competitive Spurs first-team debut came against Scottish opposition, in a Europa League qualifier against Hearts in 2011.

“He’s absolutely brilliant,” said Rodgers of the England captain. “I’ve known Harry for a long time and come across him many times. Harry’s actually one of those ones that until you’re stood on the side of the pitch and you face him you actually only then really, really then see his level.

“It wasn’t easy for him at the beginning. He had lots of loans getting out to clubs and didn’t quite work out. And then he was given the opportunity by Tim Sherwood at Tottenham. Tim had belief in him and had worked with him as a young player. Once he got into the team his development just improved from that. And you look at him now, he’s a world-class player.

“But he’s changed his game a wee bit as well in the last number of years, where he’s on the move more, dropping short, you see his passing, you see his abilities. But he’s also tough. I can’t speak highly enough of him.”