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Rodgers hails resilient Celtic
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says his side have become more resilient in the 12 months since they last faced Astana in the Champions League.
The Bhoys face the Kazakhstan league leaders for the second successive year in the Champions League, following last season's 3-2 aggregate victory at the third qualifying round stage.
Moussa Dembele scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty winner in the second leg, with Astana losing two players to red cards as tempers flared at Celtic Park.
Celtic's Champions League play-off first leg against Astana is live on BT Sport 2 on the eir Sport pack on Wednesday, 16 August [kick off 7.45pm]
And Rodgers says Celtic are a much improved and more mature side from than the one that scraped through last August.
"The players have built up is this ability to handle pressure and an ability, emotionally, how to deal with the big games," he said.
"I can remember at this stage last season, in the second game with Astana, there was all this emotion around it. I think it's to the huge credit of the players how they have come through that.
"We're a more mature group as a result.
"In particular the last game in Rosenborg [the 1-0 third qualifying round, second leg win in Trondheim], there was a lot of pressure and a lot of focus on the boys but they came through it and they stayed calm and composed."
Astana manager Stanimir Stoilov is confident his side can cause an upset against the Scottish champions as long as they keep 11 players on the park.
Igor Shitov was sent off for the foul on Dembele that handed Celtic a stoppage-time penalty, and Dmitri Shomko was shown a red card for his protest in last year's second leg at Celtic Park.
"Discipline is, of course, the most important thing in the game," he said.
"We would like to play quite confidently although last time our emotions actually let us down.
"But we know it is going to be two games and not one. We know we must keep our emotions for both games and keep our motivation for both games."
Photo Getty Images/ Ian MacNicol
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