Rodgers feels there's lessons to learn from Celtic's defeat to Ajax
The Hoops were looking to build on impressive wins over Sporting Lisbon and Newcastle and were the better team in the first half.
Yang Hyun-jun slotted home a quickfire equaliser for Celtic after Steven Berghuis had curled the opener. The South Korean winger latched on to Reo Hatate's through ball after Kieran Tierney's wonderful long pass had opened up the Ajax defence.
The Dutch side took control immediately after the interval. Davy Klaassen scored on the rebound and Berghuis got his second after a misplaced pass from Benjamin Nygren deep in his own half.
Spectacular long-range strikes from Aaron Bouwman and Rayane Bounida made it a difficult finale for the Scottish champions.
Rodgers told Celtic TV: 'I didn't think it was quite a 5-1 game. For the first 60 minutes of the game, we were very good, and the third goal we gave away.
'But we had lots of really good moments, scored one and should have had more. The goal we scored was very, very good.
'Then I just felt in the last 30 minutes of the game, we gave the ball away far too easily and we lost out on too many duels.
'You can see with the players, they're obviously working very hard. They're getting a wee bit leggy in some of the games because we're pushing them into training. So, sometimes you get that.
'Then obviously, the two goals right at the end are disappointing because they're shots from outside the box, which we should do better with. You've got to get to the ball.
'But overall really, lots of positives from us, but also always a reminder of still the work we have to do.'
The defeat means there will be no swift reunion with winger Nicolas Kuhn, who watched from the stand following his recent move to Como.
Ajax will now take on the hosts in the final of the Como Cup while Celtic will face Asian Champions League winners Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chelsea target 'asks to be left out of pre-season match' as Stamford Bridge move gathers pace after 'agreeing personal terms'
Ajax defender Jorrel Hato asked to be omitted from the Dutch giant's pre-season match against Como on Sunday as he looks to complete a move to Chelsea, reports in the Netherlands claim. The Blues are in talks with the highly touted 19-year-old, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal in this transfer window. However, it now appears that Chelsea are close to winning the race for one of the most promising Dutch prospects in years, given his reported reluctance to take to the field for the Amsterdam club. Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad reported that the versatile defender told new Ajax boss John Heitinga that he would 'rather not play' in the side's Como Cup final defeat to Como on Sunday. The outlet claim that the decision is 'entirely related' to his potential move to Stamford Bridge though 'that doesn't say anything about the status of negotiations, which are currently difficult'. Ajax are believed to be holding out for a fee in the £60million for their academy product who has three years remaining on his contract. Last week, ESPN reported that the Blues' initial bid for the teenager was rejected, but aware of the defender's desire to leave, Ajax have responded with a counter offer. Last Wednesday, his agent Humphry Nijman confirmed to De Telegraaf that the wonderkid is about to be in talks with the Blues. When asked, he responded: 'The only thing I can say is that Jorrel is now going to talk to Chelsea.' Hato is a left-back who can also play in central defence. According to Fabrizio Romano, he has agreed personal terms with the London club. Chelsea have already made a splash in the transfer market, signing Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Estevao. Noni Madueke's £52m move to Arsenal and the huge Club World Cup victory earnings have helped boost the coffers. Hato played for the Dutch side at the Euro Under 21s tournament this summer where they lost 2-1 to England in the semi-finals.
Scotsman
38 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scottish government should call time on unfair footy drink ban
The sale of alcohol within football grounds has long been prohibited, save for hospitality sections. Picture: Stock Adobe It says everything about our society that a rugby fan can enjoy a pint or several while watching Scotland play at Murrayfield; a cricket supporter can drown her sorrows in several large gins if the national team plays badly at the Grange; but a football fan cannot indulge in half a pint of lager during a game, whether watching the national team at Hampden or Hibs at Easter Road. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The law is pretty clear: a football fan cannot carry alcohol into a football stadium; consume alcohol within sight of a football pitch or enter a football stadium under the influence of alcohol. It is even illegal to drink while on 'official' transport to a match, ie a supporters' bus. The ban was imposed in 1981 following the infamous 1980 Scottish Cup Final where Celtic and Rangers fans rioted after the game (Celtic won 1–0 after extra time). And while there have been successive calls for the ban to be lifted in the last 40-plus years, it remains firmly in place. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A pilot project earlier this month involving several clubs, including Stirling Albion, Arbroath and Partick Thistle, proved a big success but it has not persuaded First Minister John Swinney that the national ban should go. He has said he's 'not sympathetic' to changing the law, even though football fans south of the border are allowed to drink. I understand his reluctance. Scots have an unhealthy relationship with drink, with deaths from alcohol at a 15-year high, so any public measure that helps reduce alcohol intake should be welcomed. But bluntly, it smacks of institutional snobbery for rugby fans to be considered fit and proper people to have a pint of IPA at a game, while football fans are not. The game has changed beyond recognition since 1981 and I don't just mean the success of the women's game or the wages of top players. Stadiums are all-seated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Organised, large-scale hooliganism, which was the curse of the game for a generation, has all but disappeared, and match day is considered by many as a family event. However, while riots in Leith Walk or Gorgie Road may be less likely, online hate has become a feature of the modern game, with sectarianism, racism and homophobia often rearing their ugly head. Former First Minister Jack McConnell, who spear-headed a campaign to end sectarianism during his time in office, has suggested a new code of conduct for clubs linked to a relaxation in the drinking ban. He told a Sunday news-paper that zero tolerance of hate speech and violence could be 'the quid pro quo that ensures the freedom to drink again'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Geoff Pearson, one of the UK's leading experts on football violence, says that looking into ways of permitting alcohol at matches, without increasing the risk to public safety, is a 'sensible move'. And research by the Scottish Football Supporters Association shows that 74 per cent of fans think they should be able to buy alcohol during match days. The majority of fans are fed up being treated like second class citizens, compared to other sports. As the new football season approaches, the Scottish government should call time on this unfair ban.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Jack Conan reveals video from Katie Taylor inspired Lions before second Test win
Taylor, an Olympic gold medal winner and current undisputed world super lightweight champion, sent the good luck message to Andy Farrell's squad in the build-up to Saturday's second Test at Melbourne Cricket Club. The 39-year-old's words on the ability to dig deep turned out to be prophetic as the Lions emerged 29-26 winners after fighting back from an 18-point deficit. 'The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will,' said Ireland number eight Conan, who like Taylor hails from Bray in County Wicklow. 'That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all. 'It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades. 'Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy – it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us.' Hugo Keenan scored the winning try (David Davies/PA) It took a beautifully-taken try by Hugo Keenan with 51 seconds remaining to separate the rivals in one of the greatest Lions matches ever played. Remarkably, Keenan's touchdown was the first time they led in the match. Conan admits that victory tastes all the sweeter for having been taken to the wire as Australia raised their game to a whole new level a week after starting the series with a whimper in Brisbane. 'We were not at our best by any measure, but physically the lads dug in unbelievably well,' he said. Full time scenes in Melbourne 🥹🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 26, 2025 'It was disappointing how we played, but we played for 80 minutes. Hugo getting over the line in the last minute was just unbelievable. 'It wasn't my best game. A lot of us weren't at the races at all, but we stuck in there. You can't fault the effort. I thought the defensive sets we put in, just whacking people and just staying in there, was unbelievable. 'It's something that will go down in history. They won't be writing the history books about how s*** we were, but they'll say that we won and that's all that matters. 'Everyone's over the moon. To be part of a Lions winning series team is incredibly special. The celebrations in the changing room wouldn't have been the same if we'd won by 20.'
