Champions League

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Attendance: 57,931

Champions League | Group Stage

Dec 5, 2017 at 7.45pm UK

Celtic
0-1
Anderlecht

FT(HT: 0-0)

Simunovic (62' og.)

Match Report

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Football

Brendan Rodgers: 'Europa League spot a massive achievement for Celtic'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 05 December 2017

Rodgers: 'EL spot a massive achievement'

Brendan Rodgers insists that Celtic's third-place finish in Champions League Group B is a "massive achievement" and part of "the bigger picture".

Brendan Rodgers has described Celtic's third-placed finish in Group B of the Champions League as a "massive achievement".

With Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich assured of the top two spots in the group heading into matchday six, the Hoops had to avoid a three-goal defeat by Anderlecht on Tuesday night.

A Jozo Simunovic own goal gave the Belgian side a 1-0 win at Parkhead, which ensured that Celtic would finish third in the standings to drop into the Europa League.

"Overall, the best team won, but the bigger picture was to get through to the Europa League by finishing third and that would be a massive achievement," Rodgers told BBC Sport after the game.

"We were the fourth seeds coming into this and there is immense pride that we got the job done. But we have a lot of work to do at this level, but we can look forward to the Europa League in February."

The draw for the knockout stages of the Europa League takes place at 12pm on Monday, December 11.