Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted his side lacked tempo in their play until he made some substitutions in a goalless draw with Hibernian.
Rodgers picked the same team that played the majority of Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid but Celtic struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, although David Marshall saved brilliantly from Daizen Maeda.
Martin Boyle missed an excellent chance for Hibs just after the break when he volleyed over from Jordan Obita’s cross and Rodgers brought on four attacking substitutes either side of the hour mark.
Of those, James Forrest hit the bar, Oh Hyeon-gyu had a header saved and Mikey Johnston was denied by Marshall with an impressive save from a long-range strike, while David Turnbull was also heavily involved in the play.
Rodgers said: “I didn’t think we played with the tempo and speed that we wanted to until the last 20 minutes.
“We dominated the game for long spells but the first 60 minutes was too slow from our perspective, we didn’t get them running quick enough.
“We played too many longer passes, we wanted to really be playing shorter, quicker passes which are a bit more difficult to defend.
“We made the changes and the last 25 minutes the tempo increased which pushed them back and we connected the game a lot better.
“We had about 20 attempts at goal. Jamesy hit the crossbar and they had some really good blocks but we weren’t able to make the breakthrough.”
When asked if Wednesday’s exertions had an impact, the manager said: “It could well be but I never want to use that as an excuse. The players had a massive effort in midweek but we have to be able to go again.”
When quizzed over whether some changes to his team might have helped, Rodgers added: “Listen, we are all captains of hindsight afterwards, aren’t we?
“It would have been ideal if we had an extra day maybe to recover and play later. But I think the boys are fit and strong. We had the ball, it was just the speed of it, we didn’t move it quick enough.”
On winger Johnston’s first appearance for Celtic since March 2022, Rodgers said: “A wee bit hit and miss, a bit loose and sloppy and then did some good things. But he has been out for a while.
“Jamesy came in and has that quality to look after the ball. He probably will feel he can score.
“But the guys coming in, it’s what we asked from them. I asked them to bring an energy to the game and I think they did that.”
Hibs head coach Nick Montgomery was delighted to see his side keep a clean sheet following a 4-0 defeat at Ibrox the previous weekend.
“I’m extremely proud of the effort the boys put in,” he said.
“You are talking about a team that went toe to toe with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. I watched that game and I thought they were excellent. I thought we contained a lot of their threats, and they have a lot of them.
“We defended really well, resolute when we neeed to be, and I thought we had the best chance of the game other than the crossbar incident at the end.
“At times we played some good stuff, the boys were brave and courageous at the back. It was a massive team effort.
“What we didn’t get right last week was defending those transition moments. When we lost the ball, we were slow to react, and the difference today was we defended as a team.”
Kick-off time set for World Cup qualifier against Dominican Republic as Reggae Boyz face bust schedule
CONCACAF has officially announced the kick-off time for Jamaica's highly anticipated opening match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against the Dominican Republic. The game is set to take place at the National Stadium in Kingston on June 6, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 pm local time.
This pivotal match marks the beginning of Jamaica's journey towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, igniting hopes and dreams across the island. Jamaican football enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating this clash as the Boyz aim to make a strong start on home soil against the Dominican Republic.
The announcement of the kick-off time is just the first step in what promises to be an eventful campaign for Jamaica's national team. Alongside the World Cup qualifiers, Jamaica will also participate in the prestigious Copa America in June, where they will face tough opposition in Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela during the group stage.
Following the World Cup qualifiers and Copa America, Jamaica's focus will shift towards the 2024/2025 edition of the CONCACAF Nations League, illustrating the team's packed schedule and determination to excel on both regional and international fronts.
Looking ahead, the upcoming World Cup Qualifier against the Dominican Republic sets the stage for an exciting period of football for Jamaica, with the team poised to showcase their talent and passion as they strive to secure a spot in the global spotlight of the FIFA World Cup.
Details regarding ticket prices, ticket purchasing, and media accreditation for the match will be provided in due course, ensuring that fans and media alike can fully immerse themselves in this thrilling chapter of Jamaican football history.
Dortmund have flown under the radar to reach Champions League final, says Terzic
Borussia Dortmund have benefited from going under the radar during their "unbelievable road" to the Champions League final, according to head coach Edin Terzic.
The Black and Yellow will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the showpiece on June 1, following a hard-earned 2-0 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain in the last four.
Dortmund came into this season on the back of a bitter Bundesliga title loss on the final matchday of the previous campaign, with a 2-2 draw against Mainz handing the title to Bayern on goal difference.
While Terzic's side have been unable to launch a genuine challenge on the domestic front this term - currently occupying fifth place and 24 points adrift of newly crowned champions Bayer Leverkusen - it has been a different story in Europe.
"There is always a team that no one has on their radar that reaches the quarter-finals or the semi-finals," he said. "We wanted to be the team that were not necessarily on anyone's radar. That road has been unbelievable."
Indeed, it has. Dortmund began their campaign with a 2-0 defeat at PSG and goalless draw at home to Milan, but recovered to top Group F before seeing off PSV and Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
The 1997 Champions League winners then produced a defensive masterclass across both legs of their semi-final with PSG, to reach their first final since 2013.
"After the second matchday, almost no one believed in us any more," said captain Emre Can, who made his 50th Champions League appearance during the second leg at Parc des Princes.
"We only had one point after two matches, but we kept believing and that was the most important thing. Keeping two clean sheets in two matches against PSG is no mean feat."
Mbappe admits 'I didn't do enough' following PSG's Champions League exit
Kylian Mbappe shouldered the blame for Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, which saw them exit the Champions League semi-finals 2-0 on aggregate.
Mbappe, who is set to leave PSG at the end of the season, was unable to inspire the Ligue 1 champions as they fell short in their latest quest to land the European crown.
The France captain registered a game-high three shots on target and 12 touches in the opposition box during the second leg at Parc des Princes, but his tally of just 51 touches overall was the second-lowest recorded by any PSG player.
And the 25-year-old admitted he should have made a more significant contribution towards his team's cause.
"I tried to help my team as best as I could, but I didn't do enough," he said. "I'm the guy who should score goals and be decisive. When things are good, I take all the limelight and when they are not, you have to take the shadow.
"That's not a problem. The first one who should have scored tonight was me. That's life, and we have to move on - me and the team."
PSG enjoyed the lion's share of possession (69.5 per cent) during the second leg and registered four times as many shots as their opponents did (30 to seven), hitting the woodwork four times.
"In decisive Champions League matches, when you're not effective in both boxes, it's difficult to get through to the next round," Mbappe added. "Even more so when we're talking about a final.
"We're certainly disappointed, but it's not all doom and gloom. We need to build on that and keep working, because I'm sure we'll get there."
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