Celtic TV Exclusive: Manager looks ahead to the derby | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers has his sights set on Sunday’s Glasgow derby at Celtic Park as his side look to further strengthen their grip at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Hoops go into the game with a 16-point lead and with just nine matches remaining, and the manager is looking forward to the fixture.

Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV, he said: “We are coming into it in a really good place. Form has been good, results have been good, performances have been good. So we're excited for the game.

“Every Celtic v Rangers game always brings a certain tension and excitement in the build-up. You just hope you can deliver the performance, and in my time as Celtic manager, we have tended to do that.

“Earlier in the season, we were very good. The cup final was tight, but we came through it. Then in the last game at Ibrox, Rangers were the better team.

"We did not meet the demands of the game that day, the demands required in this type of fixture, but the players’ response to that has been outstanding.

“At that point, we were 14 points clear of Rangers. Coming into this game, we are 16 points clear. So the players have responded well, and we look to have learned the lessons from that.”

This will be the fourth meeting between the sides this season, with both league games going the way of the home side, while it was the Hoops who triumphed in the League Cup final following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

“Any cup final is about winning,” Brendan Rodgers said. “You want to perform well and win, but what we showed that day was great resilience.

"We were disappointed to lose the lead and get pegged back late on, but we kept going and kept fighting. Then we showed great composure in the penalties, dealing with the pressure really well.”

The manager admitted that his side fell short in their 3-0 defeat at Ibrox in January, but emphasised the importance of bouncing back in the right way.

“Our standards were not met that day," he said. "Forget about the result, we talk a lot about performance here.

"And that is not just with the ball, it is about defending, coping with pressure, and dealing with the various moments that happen in the game. Normally, we do that well, so that performance was a surprise at the time.

“You have to give credit to the other team, they won the game, and we just were not at our level.

“But you understand that, you work on it, and you look to be much better in your next performances. And obviously, this is our next Celtic v Rangers game, so we hope to be much better.”

The Hoops boss also stressed the importance of channelling the energy and emotion of the occasion in the right way while maintaining a clear focus on performance.

“You have to control the noise, there is always a big build-up to this game,” he said.

“But the story is always our story, the story we tell ourselves going into the game. That allows us to focus. That is my job, to create that narrative throughout the week as we prepare to play. This game will be no different.

“Our club has a fanatical support base, built on passion and enthusiasm. For many supporters, this club is their life.

“So we do not dismiss that. We know we are playing for our supporters. We want to make them proud, we want to make the club proud, and ultimately, we want to get three points.”

Brendan Rodgers also praised Daizen Maeda’s remarkable season in front of goal, with the Japanese forward having netted 27 times so far this season.

“I think he is a wonderful role model for any young player, if you're looking at someone who plays with honesty, works incredibly hard, and gives everything for the team," the Celtic manager said.

“That is what he does every day in training. He leads his life the right way. He is very humble, very committed, and very professional.

“He is just an absolutely brilliant player, and we're hoping he can continue this form all the way through to the end of the season.”

You can watch the full interview with Brendan Rodgers now by subscribing to Celtic TV, as well as the full match live if you are outside the UK and Ireland.

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Match Centre

Fixtures

Celtic Vs. Rangers - Sun, Mar 16th 2025, 12:30