Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers likened modern football to a “computer game” after claiming Daizen Maeda was sent off following a needless VAR intervention in his side’s 6-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid.

Maeda saw a yellow card upgraded to red following a VAR review midway through the first half at the Estadio Metropolitano, but Rodgers felt referee made the right call initially.

The Japanese attacker dangled a leg in a 50-50 challenge with Mario Hermoso, who hurt himself as he followed through.

Celtic were already trailing to a deflected strike from Antoine Griezmann and Atletico took full advantage of the numerical superiority. Griezmann and Alvaro Morata both struck doubles, while Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez also scored as Atletico hit a string of spectacular second-half goals.

Rodgers said: “I think the red card is a big turning point. We started well, started with confidence, got into some really good areas. We then get a man sent off early, which was a huge disappointment because I didn’t feel it was a red card.

“When you watch the re-run, both players kick each other’s feet. The referee saw that in game time and then he is asked to look at it.

“The first image he sees is not representative of the actual challenge. You plant a seed when the first image he sees is Daizen Maeda’s foot up, but that wasn’t the challenge and it’s a really, really soft red card.

“For a team coming here with 11 against 11, you would need to be at your real max to get something out the game and losing a man early, it becomes a real challenge and we tire and they scored some fantastic goals.”

Rodgers was angered by the reaction of the Atletico bench after the Maeda challenge, with boss Diego Simeone and six or seven colleagues racing into the technical area to remonstrate.

He said: “They will play the game, they are obviously trying to get our player sent off.

“Listen, it’s still up to the ref. You come away in Europe and a place like this where it’s an emotional stadium, everyone will add pressure.

“The ref saw it in game time and didn’t deem it worthy of anything so serious, but it just feels like a computer game now, football. So many visits to the screen, so many influences in the game.

“As time has gone on you see the influence of VAR and the difficulties referees have. There’s a lot of judgements going on away from the field.

“It’s not so much the technology, but how it is implemented. It’s not something I enjoy.

“When it first came out I was very much wanting to support it and hoped it would improve the game, because I think everyone thought the utopia of VAR would mean we would lose all these bad decisions.

“But you could argue there’s even more now. There’s a good percentage where it just doesn’t feel right in the game.”

Rodgers maintained a 4-3-2 formation after the red card, with Oh Hyeon-gyu coming on at half-time.

“You have seen my teams enough back home,” he said. “Whenever we lose a man it’s having that structure.

“Listen, you can have any structure you want, it can be very, very difficult against that level of opponent. It just didn’t work for us so we have to take our medicine.”

Celtic remain bottom of Group E but are still not eliminated from the Champions League, although they will need to beat both Lazio and Feyenoord and hope Atletico do them some favours to stay in Europe beyond Christmas.

Rodgers said: “We knew we had to take something from this game, but with Lazio winning as well, our objective with two games to go is to get points and see if we can improve on last season’s points total.”

Daizen Maeda was sent off as Celtic suffered a thumping 6-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid to leave them adrift in their Champions League group.

Celtic were already trailing to Antoine Griezmann’s deflected goal when Maeda saw a yellow card upgraded to a red following a VAR review midway through the first half at the Estadio Metropolitano.

Alvaro Morata and Griezmann both netted doubles and Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez scored as Atletico capitalised on their numerical advantage in devastating fashion with a string of spectacular second-half goals.

The damage was done when Maeda left a foot dangling as he went in for a 50-50 challenge with Mario Hermoso, who rolled around on the floor after being caught on the shin as he followed through.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone and six or seven of his backroom staff raced off the bench after the incident, sparking an angry reaction from Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers when the referee was called to his monitor.

Rodgers was booked for dissent as Simeone dragged one of his colleagues back from confronting the Celtic boss.

Celtic are now five points adrift of third-placed Feyenoord and, although not eliminated, they will need to beat Lazio and the Dutch side in their final two games while relying on favours from Atletico to have any hope of extending their European run beyond Christmas.

They will travel to Rome for the November 28 game with Lazio without Maeda and fellow winger Luis Palma, who picked up his third yellow card of the campaign when he was booked for dissent.

Rodgers picked the same team that played the bulk of the 2-2 draw with Atletico two weeks ago. That meant Paulo Bernardo came in for David Turnbull, who had scored in each of Celtic’s last two league games.

Griezmann started in midfield and opened the scoring in the sixth minute after Celtic twice put themselves under pressure.

Joe Hart sliced a punch clear under no pressure following a corner and Callum McGregor headed a poor clearance straight to Griezmann.

The Frenchman shot from 20 yards and a deflection off Cameron Carter-Vickers took the ball out of Hart’s reach and into the bottom corner.

Palma forced a save with what would prove Celtic’s only effort on goal as they tried to respond and McGregor soon saved his side by blocking from Rodrigo Riquelme following a counter-attack.

The red card soon followed and, although Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved brilliantly from Morata’s sliced clearance, the rest of the game was an exercise in defending for Celtic.

Griezmann, twice, and Nahuel Molina threatened before the France international’s diagonal ball exposed Celtic in first-half stoppage time. Jose Maria Gimenez headed across goal for Morata to slide in and convert from close range.

The onslaught continued, even before the interval, when Hart saved from Angel Correa.

Rodgers brought on Oh Hyeon-gyu for Palma at half-time as he maintained his 4-3-2 formation throughout.

Griezmann continued to threaten on regular occasions and Gimenez headed off the bar before the Frenchman netted with a scissors kick on the hour mark after meeting Alistair Johnston’s headed clearance.

Substitute Lino took a step inside Johnston and curled in a brilliant fourth six minutes later.

Correa hit a post before Morata took a touch on the edge of the box and lashed a shot into the roof of the net in the 76th minute.

Celtic finished the game with a midfield of Turnbull, Odin Thiago Holm and Tomoki Iwata and they lost a scrappy goal in the 84th minute when Niguez finished from close range.

Their heaviest European defeat had come in Spain under Rodgers seven years ago and Atletico could not emulate that 7-0 victory amid further pressure.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes his team have earned respect in the Champions League – now they want something more tangible to show for their efforts ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Atletico Madrid.

The Hoops have collected one point from their opening three Group E games and face away matches in the Spanish and Italian capitals before closing their campaign at home to Feyenoord.

Celtic had two men sent off in their opening game in the Netherlands before losing leads against both Lazio and Atletico, but the quality of their three goals and the first-half performance in particular against Diego Simeone’s team showed they can cause major problems to their rivals.

Simeone has been effusive in his praise of the Scottish champions and the Argentinian also feels they deserve more points.

Rodgers reckons their confidence levels are growing in line with their standards of performance and can lead to a big result in Madrid.

“The cynics will probably tell us we only have one point but for a club and a team like ourselves it’s all about improving that level of confidence, and that will come through performance,” said Rodgers, who reported his squad was in “good health” other than long-term absentees Reo Hatate and Liel Abada.

“We maybe haven’t had quite the level of results and points on the board, especially in the last two games, that we deserve, but we are very happy with the performance levels.

“I think we played well in the three games. As each game has gone on, the level of performance has been better.

“We haven’t had the breaks we have probably wanted from the games but in terms of performance level, in particular the last game, we were very, very good.

“Hopefully in the next three games in the group we can get what we deserve from the games.

“Our level has increasingly got better, our confidence has got better, and hopefully we can turn that into points.

“But we are under no illusions, we understand we are coming to a fantastic stadium against a very good team but we are really excited by that challenge.”

With a three-point deficit on third-placed Lazio, Rodgers knows the need for points is great.

“There is no doubt, we are not daft, we know this is a game where we want to get a positive result to take into the final two games,” he said.

Rodgers feels the team’s ability to switch from their usual 4-3-3 system to a back three in the second half against Atletico in Glasgow showed impressive flexibility that they might need in Spain.

But he added: “It doesn’t take away from our style, we always want to be a team that is aggressive and looks to play the way we want to play no matter the system.

“That adaptability is important so I was really pleased with that in the first game, but also our style in terms of looking to impose ourselves on the game. We want to do similar (on Tuesday).

“Listen, we know we are playing away from home against a very good side with top-quality players but it’s important for us to not wait in the game.

“We want to go and impose our style on the game but we also know we are going to have to defend and defend well at times against a very good side.

“For us the notion is to look to play our game, to make a fast start in the game, and when the challenges come, which they will do, then we look to defend really strongly as a team to combat that.”

James Forrest is determined to continue chipping in with goals for Celtic after scoring in the Scottish top flight for a 15th consecutive season.

The 32-year-old winger first netted on his Hoops debut against Motherwell near the end of the 2009/10 campaign, shortly after Neil Lennon had taken over from Tony Mowbray.

Having kept up his run of scoring through each campaign under Lennon, Ronny Deila, the first spell of Brendan Rodgers, the second stint of Lennon and Ange Postecoglou, Forrest headed in his first goal of Rodgers’ second spell in charge to seal Saturday’s 3-0 win over 10-man Ross County in Dingwall.

“I think it’s only my fourth header but maybe one of the easier ones,” he said. “I’ve had a few chances lately and not managed to take them, so I didn’t think it was easy when it was coming across.

“It’s amazing to reach another milestone. I think you appreciate these things even more when you get older. Still playing here and trying to contributing is what I have got to keep doing.

“I’d like to keep it going. It’s hard to look too far in advance when the club has such a strong squad and is always signing good players every season.

“I still really enjoy it and getting milestones like this make it all worthwhile. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

One-club man Forrest has found playing time harder to come by for Celtic in recent seasons but he remains contracted to his boyhood team until 2025. He is comfortable with his role as a more peripheral player within the squad.

“It’s been this way since I came through,” he said of the competition to get in the team. “Every year we are signing attackers, so it’s no different now.

“Obviously I’m getting older but the manager came in and I had a good pre-season.

“I want to contribute when I get the chance. A few of the other lads have come in recently and taken their chances when the manager’s rotated it, so that’s good.”

Celtic’s victory, which also included goals from David Turnbull and Luis Palma, extended their lead at the top of the cinch Premiership to eight points, albeit having played a game more than nearest challengers Rangers.

The Hoops’ next match is away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday as they bid to add to their solitary point so far and keep alive their fading hopes of progressing in Europe beyond Christmas.

“It will be difficult but the boys can take confidence from the home game (a 2-2 draw with Atletico),” said Forrest. “We went toe to toe with them. It will be a tough game but we can take confidence from some good performances this season.”

Ross County boss Malky Mackay was heartened that his side did not capitulate and suffer an embarrassing loss after having James Brown sent off just eight minutes in.

The 10-man Staggies held firm until first-half stoppage time and then managed to keep their deficit at 1-0 until the 78th minute.

“Going down to 10 men against Celtic, it becomes dangerous because you can be hurt just through naturally the way the game can go – nothing to do with our players, just through the fact tiredness kicks in and they’re playing like the Red Arrows in terms of their movement.

“Near the end of the game, three or four can become six or seven and teams have fallen to that. You saw it a couple of years ago with Dundee United at 9-0. That can really damage clubs and managers.

“If they’re playing well and you have 10 and your tactics are wrong and you’re not playing well, it can be eight or nine so the fact we were structured, organised, tough, resilient and didn’t let it get to that will stand us in good stead. It’s not Celtic and Rangers my fight is against.”

Brendan Rodgers praised his much-changed Celtic team for the way they ground down a spirited 10-man Ross County side to move eight points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership.

The hosts had James Brown sent off early on and they kept the Hoops out until deep into first-half stoppage time when David Turnbull broke the deadlock.

Celtic eventually killed off County – whose goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw was in inspired form – with goals from substitutes Luis Palma and James Forrest.

Rodgers, who made six changes ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid in Spain, was pleased with the energy and patience of his team.

“We made a number of changes to bring new energy in the team,” said the Hoops boss. “It’s difficult when they get the man sent off early because it means it’s a game of attack v defence. But we had some really good chances before taking the lead.

“It was a game where we needed some energy from the guys at the beginning. We scored some fantastic goals and their keeper made some brilliant saves.

“Credit to County, they lose a man so early. You can unravel or stick at it and keep going and they did that.”

Hyeongyu Oh, Paulo Bernardo, Anthony Ralston and Hyunjun Yang were among the players handed starts in Dingwall.

“It’s all about the team,” he said. “It’s not about cementing your place in the team, it’s about contributing to the performance. The guys came in and worked very hard and were steady and concentrated.”

Prior to taking the lead, Celtic had two goals chalked off. Liam Scales had the ball in the net from close range but it was ruled out as Oh was deemed to have pushed Jordan White in the build-up.

Later in the first half, Oh netted from close range but the celebrations were cut short when VAR adjudged that Daizen Maeda had strayed offside when running on to Bernardo’s pass on the right.

“I thought the first goal that was disallowed should have been a goal,” said Rodgers. “It was two defenders challenging for the ball. I don’t know where the foul was and it takes an eternity to find out if it was a goal or not. The offside looks really close. I’d have to see it again.”

County boss Malky Mackay was proud of the way his team competed after the early red card – although he was irked that Celtic’s opener came in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time, when a minimum of six minutes had been signalled.

“We got a mountain to climb when we go to 10 men,” said Mackay. “It was a sending off, James has apologised but he didn’t see him. He came from his blind side so you can’t say too much to him.

“Coming towards half-time we’d weathered the storm and to lose the goal at six minutes and six seconds – which is surprising and interesting – it was a great strike and the only place he could have put it for the goalie not to get to it.

“But we stuck at it, we were disciplined and organised. I have to be proud of my team.”

Celtic geared up for their midweek Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid by moving eight points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership with a 3-0 win at 10-man Ross County.

The hosts were up against it following an early red card for James Brown, but – inspired by a brilliant display from goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw – they stood firm until David Turnbull made the breakthrough for the Hoops in first-half stoppage time.

Second-half goals from substitutes Luis Palma and James Forrest allowed the leaders to see the match out in comfortable fashion ahead of their Tuesday night showdown with Atleti in the Spanish capital.

County – back at home following a run of three successive away draws – made three alterations to the side that drew 2-2 at Hibernian in midweek as Ben Purrington, Kyle Turner and Eamonn Brophy were replaced by George Harmon, Yan Dhanda and Jordan White.

Amid a hectic fixture schedule, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers opted to freshen up his squad by making six changes to the side that defeated St Mirren 2-1 on Wednesday as Kyogo Furuhashi, Matt O’Riley, Alistair Johnson, Nat Phillips, Palma and Forrest dropped out to make way for Anthony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Paulo Bernardo, Hyunjun Yang, Hyeongyu Oh and Daizen Maeda.

The Hoops had the ball in the net after five minutes when Liam Scales fired home from close range but it was swiftly ruled out after Oh was deemed to have pushed White in the build-up.

Celtic were the beneficiaries of a decision from the officials shortly afterwards, however, when Brown was sent off for catching Yang’s ankle with his studs while trying to halt the South Korean as he burst in from the left. The Staggies right-back was initially shown a yellow card but it was upgraded to a red following a VAR intervention.

County boss Malky Mackay, in a bid to bring fresh defensive reinforcement to his depleted team, responded by sending on Will Nightingale in place of striker White.

Despite being a man down, County competed manfully for the remainder of the first half although their goalkeeper was a busy man.

Laidlaw got down brilliantly to tip a 20-yard strike from Callum McGregor behind in the 21st minute. From the resulting corner, taken by Turnbull, Oh glanced his header over the bar.

Laidlaw made another fine save in the 28th minute when he clawed out a Scales header from Turnbull’s corner.

Celtic thought they had the breakthrough in the 31st minute when Oh forced in from close range following a Maeda cross from the right. However, after a VAR check, Maeda was deemed to have been offside as he ran on to a pass from Bernardo.

Laidlaw made an excellent point-blank save to keep out Bernardo in the 38th minute and the County keeper looked on course to end an inspired first half with what would have been a deserved clean sheet when he pushed away a Turnbull shot from just outside the box.

However, the Celtic midfielder eventually beat the defiant County keeper with another low strike from outside the box.

That late hammer blow might have been the signal for the floodgates to open early on in the second half but County and Laidlaw in particular continued to put up admirable resistance.

Five minutes after the restart, Oh was denied by Laidlaw from a tight angle before Bernardo curled a free-kick just over.

Laidlaw then made a superb double save to thwart substitute Furuhashi and Yang in quick succession, and his heroics continued as he threw himself high to his left to tip away a goalbound effort from Oh in the 77th minute.

But Laidlaw was helpless a minute later when substitute Palma looped a stunning strike from 30 yards into the top corner.

Palma then turned provider in the 84th minute as his cross from the left was nodded in at the back post by fellow replacement Forrest.

Laidlaw pulled off another double save in stoppage time to halt Furuhashi and Oh, but the damage was already done.

Brendan Rodgers hailed Celtic’s traditional never-say-die spirit following their late 2-1 cinch Premiership win over St Mirren at Parkhead.

Saints attacker Conor McMenamin headed the visitors in front in the seventh minute but returning Hoops midfielder David Turnbull levelled in the 18th minute with a fine strike before hitting the post with a penalty just before the half-hour mark.

The league leaders kept chipping away in the second half and eventually got their reward in the 83rd minute when South Korean attacker Oh Hyeon-gyu took a pass from fellow substitute Odin Thiago Holm and fired high past excellent Buddies goalkeeper Zach Hemming.

The Celtic boss smiled as he said: “It was coming.”

He added: “Listen, it’s one of those ones – you know the game lasts 90 plus minutes so you trust your team.

“They’ve scored late goals already this season. It’s the make-up of this club to keep going and persevere.

“I was really just pleased with the quality of the winning goal. We saw that at Motherwell when we got that winner (Matt O’Riley) late on.

“With 80-odd minutes on the clock here, you can start to panic but we worked the ball really well.

“The goal was terrific. Of course you can never be sure but I trust the team that they will keep going until the end and when you do that opportunities will come.

“It’s part of the value of this team – that ability to keep going. When you bring in players you are always looking for players who have that resilience in their make-up.

“It’s part of what you do when you recruit a player. When you play for a club like this one, there’s no choice – you keep fighting, you keep running and allow your quality to come through and that’s exactly what happened.

“We had a penalty and Kyogo (Furuhashi) had a chance as well. So we could have been more comfortable in the scoreline.

“At 2-1, you just want to grind it out and get the result.”

It was Oh’s first goal of the season and Rodgers was pleased for the South Korean.

Rodgers said: “It was a great finish. Nice little very combination with Kyogo and Odin can shoot if he’s selfish. But he plays a lovely pass in and the big guy takes his touch and it’s a wonderful finish.

“I’m really pleased for him. For the guys who aren’t playing so much, you always have to recognise and acknowledge their efforts which I did with them.

“He looks after his body, his diet, everything is superb. He’s so professional, he looks at his training and he knows when asked upon he can come in and make an impact. And what an impact.”

St Mirren remain in third place and boss Stephen Robinson also praised his side as he acknowledged the quality of Celtic’s goals.

He said: “We got beat by a fantastic goal. Sometime you look for fault but it was a fantastic goal and so was the first one.

“Defensively we were excellent, Zach Hemming made three fantastic saves.

“I have nothing but credit and praise for the players.

“To be disappointed shows we have come a long way but we are a good side and I have a lot of confidence in these players.

“We got beat by quality but in terms of where we want to go it was a big statement in terms of performance.”

A late strike by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu gave Celtic a hard-fought 2-1 cinch Premiership win over St Mirren at Parkhead.

Saints attacker Conor McMenamin headed the well-organised visitors into a shock lead in the seventh minute but the Hoops responded as expected.

Returning midfielder David Turnbull levelled in the 18th minute with a terrific strike before hitting the post with a penalty just before the half-hour mark.

Brendan Rodgers’ men kept working away in the second half and eventually got their reward in the 83rd minute when South Korean attacker Oh, on for Turnbull, fired high past excellent Buddies goalkeeper Zach Hemming for his first goal of the season.

Rodgers’ side had dropped points at the weekend with a goalless draw at Hibernian but the main talking point ahead of the game was the Green Brigade’s ban from Celtic Park for “increasingly serious escalation in unacceptable behaviours”.

The move came after incidents including the fan group’s co-ordination of a display showing solidarity with the people of Palestine at last week’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid and their absence impacted on the atmosphere.

Rodgers, however, had to get on with winning a game of football and with centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers rested he brought in Nat Phillips, with Turnbull and winger James Forrest reinstated as Paulo Bernardo and Daizen Maeda dropped to the bench.

The visitors, with Ryan Strain back from suspension and Caolan Boyd-Munce and Toyosi Olusanya back in the side, stunned the home side with the early opener.

Greg Kiltie’s curling cross from wide on the left was met by Northern Ireland attacker McMenamin and he gave keeper Joe Hart no chance with his header from close range.

The goal concentrated Celtic minds while the fans began grumbling at St Mirren taking the lead.

But they had cause to cheer when Turnbull picked up a Matt O’Riley pass 20 yards from goal and curled a shot high past Buddies keeper Hemming.

There was a handball check by VAR when Turnbull’s shot came off the sliding Buddies midfielder Alex Gogic and when referee John Beaton checked his pitchside monitor he inevitably pointed to the spot.

Turnbull’s spot-kick struck the post, Luis Palma’s effort from the rebound was well-saved by Hemming and then Matt O’Riley headed past the post and Saints breathed again.

Celtic increased the pressure just before the break with Hemming preventing Gogic inadvertently slicing a clearance into his own net before making a good save from Palma’s low drive.

An intricate move early in the second half ended with Hemming making a fine save from Forrest’s drive from 10 yards before the winger and Palma made way for Maeda and South Korean attacker Yang Hyun-jun.

Celtic kept knocking at the door and seven minutes from the end Oh took a pass from fellow substitute Odin Thiago Holm inside the box and drove high into the net.

The hosts should have scored again in added time when Kyogo Furuhashi was clean through, only to be foiled by Hemming.

The Green Brigade have been banned from Celtic Park after the club extended its suspension to home matches.

An email to supporters in the standing section has been published on social media showing that Celtic have suspended season tickets for those who have registered with the ticket office as being part of the ‘ultras’ group.

The move comes after incidents including the group’s co-ordination of a display showing solidarity with the people of Palestine at last week’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.

Wary of further UEFA disciplinary action, Celtic had asked fans not to bring any flags associated with the Middle East conflict.

An email leaked on social media shows Celtic cited “repeated incidents of unacceptable conduct involving the ‘Green Brigade’ group”. The ban is pending further review and communication with the fans’ group.

Celtic have been fined by UEFA twice this season for displays linked to the Green Brigade section – a pyrotechnic show away at Rotterdam and an “anti-fascist” banner which, according to the European governing body, contained a “provocative message of an offensive nature” towards Lazio.

Other issues apparently cited by Celtic include “rushing turnstiles” at Fir Park, “illegally gained access” ahead of the Lazio match and “unauthorised banners” plus behaviour towards stewards.

Thousands of supporters around Celtic Park had defied the club’s appeal by displaying Palestine flags last Wednesday.

Celtic have been approached for comment.

Paulo Bernardo believes he can follow in the footsteps of friend Jota and create his own history at Celtic.

The on-loan Benfica midfielder made his first start for the club in Saturday’s goalless draw against Hibernian after playing the bulk of the midweek Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid following an early hamstring injury to Reo Hatate.

With the Japan midfielder likely to missing for the next two months, Bernardo has a chance to make his mark.

The 21-year-old watched on as Jota became a Celtic fans’ favourite, firstly on loan from Benfica and then after making a permanent deal to Glasgow before sealing a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s cinch Premiership encounter with St Mirren, the Portugal Under-21 international said: “I am working hard to make my impact. Jota made his impact and I want to make my impact.

“We are friends, I speak to him a lot, but now I have to make my own history and hopefully it’s good like him.

“He told me Glasgow was good and that Celtic is a really big club like we are used to in Benfica. He told me that it’s not too different. The big difference is the weather. But I am really enjoying Glasgow like Jota said I would.”

With Celtic facing 14 games before the end of 2023, Bernardo is confident he can make his mark.

“I have to feel it because we are professional players and it’s our job to make an impact,” he said.

“It was really good to make my first start at this big club. The game was not so good but we have a game on Wednesday and we will get better.

“It was a little hard to start these sequence of games, but I will respond well.

“You can work hard in training and this gave me an opportunity to play, but game time is the most important time for a player.

“When we play one game, we improve a lot more than one or two training sessions.

“I am feeling confident. I like the way the coach thinks and plays the game, and I feel comfortable with the tactics.”

Bernardo is enjoying the relentless nature of Scottish football.

“It’s a bit different to Portugal, but I really like it here and Celtic really support me,” he said. “The players have welcomed me and the staff support me really well.

“The game here is more intense. The game never stops.

“In Portugal, we lose a little bit of the time of the game because players go down on the floor and the referee stops the game. It’s a little bit boring compared to here. That’s the biggest difference.”

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate is unlikely to play again before Christmas.

The Japan international suffered a hamstring injury in the first minute of last week’s Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid, and tests have revealed significant damage.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “Reo, we are not 100 per cent on the exact timings, but he is certainly going to be out until after Christmas, we think, so that’s a shame.”

The 25-year-old will miss a major chunk of the season with Celtic playing 12 games before Christmas, including three in the Champions League.

The Hoops travel to Dundee on Boxing Day before hosting Rangers four days later and Hatate may face an extended period out given the winter break follows Celtic’s trip to play St Mirren on January 2.

Rodgers added: “It’s a disappointment for him. He has had a bit of a broken start to the season and obviously this will take him over the halfway point in the league.

“So it is very frustrating for him, especially someone who really commits himself to his game and his professionalism. Everything he does, he tries to do right.

“But he is in a great place for that support, from the coaches, the manager to the medical team, the whole staff here will support him like we do with all the players. And hopefully we will get him back sooner rather than later.”

Hatate had a six-week spell out with a hamstring injury in his other leg towards the end of last season, and missed a month with a calf injury earlier this term. So Celtic will explore all avenues to ensure Hatate’s return to fitness is lasting.

“That’s the ideal scenario,” Rodgers said. “It’s just investigating everything he is doing outside of here as well as here and trying to piece it all together.

“There are also unfortunately players that, sadly, their collagen means they pick up lots of injuries and how their body is, and they can just maybe sometimes never stay fit.

“He is a guy that has come into the game late. He has done fantastic when he has been fit and available for Celtic.

“It’s just a case of trying to look deeper into everything around his development and what he is doing here and what he is doing away from here, just to see if there is anything that we can find out.

“Because ideally you want your best players available, and he is certainly one of our top players.”

There was better news for Rodgers ahead of Wednesday’s cinch Premiership meeting with St Mirren after Alistair Johnston was passed fit after taking a clearance to the face during Saturday’s draw with Hibernian.

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.”

Celtic were held to a goalless draw at Easter Road as Hibernian survived some sustained late pressure.

There had been few clear-cut chances heading into the final quarter although David Marshall saved brilliantly from Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda and Martin Boyle missed a glorious opportunity for Hibs.

Celtic sparked into life after making a series of attacking substitutions. Mikey Johnston forced another impressive stop from Marshall and James Forrest hit the bar but Hibs held on.

The result puts Celtic eight points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership but Rangers can cut the gap when they host Hearts on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers had started with the same team that played the majority of the Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid as Paulo Bernardo made his first start for the club following his early introduction for the injured Reo Hatate on Wednesday.

Hibs started with Boyle up front alongside Dylan Vente, with Jair Tavares making only his fourth start for the club on the right wing. Rocky Bushiri replaced Paul Hanlon in central defence following the previous weekend’s 4-0 defeat by Rangers.

Celtic dominated possession early on but it was sloppy passing from Hibs that led to their first two half-chances. Bernardo shot just wide from 22 yards before Marshall denied Callum McGregor and Luis Palma hit the rebound wide.

Anthony Ralston replaced Alistair Johnston after the Celtic right-back took a Bushiri clearance flush in the face.

Ralston and fellow full-back Greg Taylor were taking up positions in the middle of the park but Celtic were struggling to break Hibs down.

The only time they got in behind in the first half saw Taylor’s low cross reach Bernardo, who could not get ball out of his feet but forced it away from Marshall only for the goalkeeper to recover brilliantly to block from Maeda.

Hibernian’s only moments of note in the first half saw Elie Youan shoot straight at Joe Hart after starting a counter-attack himself and Vente fire over following a set-piece.

Hibernian’s best chance came just after the interval when Jordan Obita curled in a perfect cross for Boyle, but the forward could not keep his volley down from six yards.

Rodgers brought on four attacking substitutions before the midway point of the second half as Johnston made his first appearance for the club since March 2022, after spending last season on loan with Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal.

The subs made their mark as Celtic began to pin their hosts back. Oh Hyeon-gyu had a difficult header saved before Marshall threw himself to his right to parry Johnston’s long-range strike.

Good play from Johnston saw David Turnbull try to set up Oh but his low cross was turned behind before James Forrest volleyed against the bar from the resulting corner.

The final chance saw Forrest turn Turnbull’s low cross past the near post in stoppage time.

Celtic will look to get to the bottom of Reo Hatate’s fitness issues as they wait to learn the extent of the midfielder’s latest lay-off.

The in-form Hatate is facing several weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury early in Celtic’s 2-2 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.

The Japan international had a six-week spell out with a similar problem towards the end of last season and missed a month with a calf injury earlier this term.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Hibernian, manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We don’t have a definitive timeline but he will definitely be out for a few weeks. We are just waiting for it to settle down and waiting for the result and we will see where he’s at but it looked quite a bad one.

“If you watch the game, the first 35 seconds he has over-stretched and he has felt it early on.

“It’s such a shame for him. It’s a different one. He was out with his hamstring last year, it’s his other one this time. So we just need to try to get to the bottom of that.”

Paulo Bernardo, who is yet to start a game since his loan move from Benfica, replaced Hatate on Wednesday.

“It’s always disappointing when players of that quality are missing but our strength is our team and Paulo came in and made his longest appearance he has made,” Rodgers said. “And I thought he coped very, very well.

“We have a number of young players that can step up if Reo is going to be out for a period of time. It always presents an opportunity.

“For any player, whoever it is coming in, without forcing it, you want them to make an impact. I don’t want them to feel big pressure that this is the only chance they are going to get, but take the opportunity when it comes.

“And (Bernardo) certainly did that the other night. He worked very, very hard in a high-level game, showed quality, had that bit of bite in midfield. I thought he did very well.”

Rodgers switched to a 3-5-2 formation in the second half after being pegged back following a first-half display full of pace and purpose.

“I was really proud of the team the other night in terms of how they played,” he said. “I think we are in the process of becoming a really good side at the level.

“The cynics will look at it and say, well you have got one point from three games. But it’s more than that, and it’s more than this season, it’s about next season and the season after.

“We are in the process of becoming a good side – dynamic, fast, goal threat, and defensively compact, tight, aggressive, and when the need comes in a game to have that intelligence to change tactically, then being able to do that. And the players did it really well.

“Getting to around the 70-minute mark, playing against a team that are playing 3-5-2, they can really stretch your back four. There were spaces starting to open up.

“It wasn’t so much a defensive change to plug the gap because you can still be really aggressive and progressive in 3-5-2.

“I like teams to have the flexibility to change. We may not have to do it so much domestically but it’s an option for us if need be, to change the momentum in a game.”

Rodgers will face a new opponent at Easter Road in the form of former Central Coast Mariners manager Nick Montgomery.

“I really like what Nick is trying to,” he said. “Only in the door, looking to play an offensive game.

“There will probably be lots of people telling him that’s not the way to work but I have been through that many years ago in my early stages of management.

“I like they are trying to build the game from behind, work their way through the lines with speed, with quality, and looking to play an attacking game.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers questioned whether someone was “making tricks” over their festive fixtures after his club’s trip to Dundee was moved to Boxing Day.

Rodgers and Motherwell have both expressed frustration on behalf of supporters after two cinch Premiership games were moved to accommodate live television coverage.

Motherwell’s Fir Park clash with Rangers has been moved from the Saturday afternoon of December 23 to a noon kick-off on Christmas Eve.

Celtic’s game at Dens Park will now take place at 3pm on Boxing Day instead of with the rest of the December 27 evening fixture card.

“It’s not ideal,” Rodgers said. “Obviously we would have preferred it to stay as it was. Especially at that time of the year.

“It’s interesting actually, I am pretty sure I’m correct in this, I think the last seven years Celtic have been away at that period of the season.

“So either we are very, very unlucky to be drawn away, or someone is making tricks behind the scenes.

“For seven years on the spin this club have been away at that time of the season. That’s not right for supporters.

“So hopefully they can maybe look at that going forward.”

Celtic’s previous six fixtures immediately after Christmas Day have been away against Hibernian, Hearts, Hamilton, St Mirren, Aberdeen and Dundee – five of them were on Boxing Day.

Motherwell revealed they were given one hour’s notice before the Scottish Professional Football League was initially going to announce their fixture change on Thursday afternoon.

Any representations the club made proved futile before the announcement was eventually made on Friday.

Motherwell acknowledged the broadcast contract allowed for such changes but claimed “moving a major fixture to this date is a special circumstance that should’ve led to additional consultation/ discussion with the club”.

A statement added: “We can only apologise to supporters who will be inconvenienced by this move and especially to those who will no longer be able to attend the game.

“We understand this move is particularly inconvenient for fans who had booked pre-match hospitality, which was already sold out.

“We are working with suppliers to provide an alternative offering pre- and post-match. We hope to still see as many of our fans as possible at the game.”