Rodgers Praises Celtic's 'Critical' Opening Win In Title Defence Against Kilmarnock

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Brendan Rodgers acknowledges that winning the Scottish Premiership title is not guaranteed after just one game. However, he believes Celtic took a significant step forward by defeating Kilmarnock 4-0 on Sunday. Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn, and Anthony Ralston all scored for the Scottish champions at Celtic Park.

Celtic have a strong record in their league openers, having won 16 of their last 17 season openers. The only loss came in 2021 when they were defeated 2-1 away to Hearts. Despite this impressive start, Rodgers remains cautious. "I thought we were very connected, some of our passing and the speed of our game was very good," he told BBC Scotland.

Rodgers praised his team's defensive strength and highlighted the importance of their first goal, which came from a counter-press. "Defensively we were very strong, the first goal came from that counter press. I have to be so pleased for the first game of the season," he said.

Matt O'Riley continues to attract interest from Premier League clubs and Serie A's Atalanta. The Denmark international assisted Scales' header in the first half against Kilmarnock, showcasing his talent amid ongoing transfer speculation.

Rodgers is keen to strengthen his squad further as he aims to compete both in the Champions League and Scotland's top division. "Currently our focus is very much the players that are here but naturally we want to improve the squad," Rodgers added.

The manager emphasised the need for new additions to help achieve their goals this season. "We want to take the club forward, we know the challenges that we have on every front and for that we want to improve the squad," he stated.

Champions League Ambitions

Rodgers has set his sights on making a mark in the Champions League this season. "I'd love to have more tools to have a go at the Champions League, that's one of our big goals this season," he said.

The manager hopes to bring in players who can help Celtic advance through the play-off phases of the competition. "Hopefully, we can get in the players that can help us kick on this season," Rodgers concluded.

Celtic's next challenge will be maintaining their momentum as they aim for success both domestically and in Europe. The team’s performance against Kilmarnock has set a positive tone for what promises to be an exciting season ahead.