Rodgers has already won all there is to win in Scotland, comfortably and repeatedly. Europe was the hurdle he had failed to clear with them – until now.
After the 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund at the start of October, this would have been almost unimaginable.
“The ultimate aim is to get into the knockout phase and that’s what they’ve done so it’s a brilliant night,” former manager Neil Lennon said on TNT Sports.
“Off the back of the heavy defeat in Dortmund, they’re unbeaten in the Champions League. For them to bounce back from that was great character and great ability.”
That five-game unbeaten streak has propelled Celtic to qualification with a game to spare, taking the pressure off next week’s trip south to face Aston Villa. Victory there could even mean a top-eight finish and direct entry to the last 16.
“I couldn’t dream that he would get a point away against Atalanta, for example, and that showed really that they’ve matured,” said former defender Johan Mjallby.
“The balance is better. They know they can’t go gung-ho and always on attack. They’re a bit better in balancing to keep the ball a bit longer nowadays. That’s been a key, especially the way the away form has been very, very good.”
On a similar theme, Rodgers added: “For us to win it, it shows the maturity and the development of this squad. You’ve seen where they’ve come from last season, where we played well but didn’t quite get the points.”
