Rodgers hails complete Celtic performance

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his side's outstanding display as they moved to the verge of the Champions League group stages with a 5-0 thrashing of FC Astana in Glasgow.

An own goal from Evgeni Postnikov and two goals from Scott Sinclair either side of half-time had the Hoops cruising to victory before James Forrest's strike and a late Igor Shitov own goal rounded off the rout.

It means the Scottish champions will take a commanding advantage to Kazakhstan for the return leg next Tuesday and puts them within touching distance of sealing their place in the lucrative group stages for a second successive season.

"We've had a number of outstanding performances since I came in but this was a different game and a different occasion," Rodgers said.

"Every game in this qualification is a pressure game. The pleasing aspect is how the players coped with that - their calmness in possession, how we circulated the ball and how we opened up the spaces and tired Astana out.

"It had everything in it -- creativity, pressing, a real good structure to the team and good organisation.

"Some of our play was outstanding.

"We scored five goals and missed one or two with that. For a Scottish side to do that at this level of competition against a side that a couple of years ago were drawing with Atletico Madrid and Benfica and show that level of composure makes me really proud of the team.

"It was a brilliant performance. Very complete in many aspects of how we work."

It was a marked improvement from last season when the Hoops narrowly saw off the Kazakhstan champions 3-2 over two legs in their third round qualification match of the same competition.

And Rodgers, who led his side to an unbeaten domestic season as they collected a treble, praised the progress his side have made since his arrival at Celtic Park last summer.

"It was a great demonstration of the work that the players have made and how they have progressed over the course of the last season," the Celtic manager said.

"We made a big step forward last year. We had a physical courage to work but over the course of the season we played a game that you have to be able to play under pressure.

"That progress is continual and I think you see tonight the marked difference from when we won here last season 2-1.

"There is a maturity in performance, an excitement and creation of chances.

"Tactically the players are thinking about football. It's not just about going out and running about and hoping.

Source: AFP