BRENDAN Rodgers will demand that his Celtic side go out and win the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Astana in Kazakhstan next week - despite watching them romp to a emphatic 5-0 triumph in the first leg last night.
The Scottish champions blew their expensively-assembled rivals away with an highly accomplished display in front of a full house at Parkhead.
An Evgeni Postnikov own goal after some good work by Tom Rogic and a Scott Sinclair effort put the home team 2-0 up at half-time.
Sinclair added his second on the hour mark and James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths killed off the outclassed visitors with late strikes.
But Rodgers refused to declare that his side have booked a place in the lucrative group stages of the competition for the second year running and stressed they will be looking to triumph again next week.
The Glasgow club still have to negotiate the second leg in the Astana Arena next Tuesday evening - a venue their opponents have not lost in Europe at in 14 games and three years.
Asked if he accepted the tie was effectively over, Rodgers said: "Not really. The job is to complete. We want to go there and win the game. We don’t have to, but that is what we will try to do. We have to complete the second leg.
"We have had a number of outstanding performances. It was a different game, a different occasion. Every game at this level is a pressure situation. I was pleased with how they coped with that.
"Some of our play and our football was outstanding. It was a brilliant performance, very complete. We now need to get the job done over there for the second game.
"They showed maturity. We have made a really good start. It is another game where we haven’t conceded. Many elements of our game are very good at this stage in the season."
He added: "It was a great demonstration of the work the players have done since I came in. They were composed and had a maturity. They accepted the ball with confidence and had a belief in the shape. It was an outstanding team performance.
"We scored five goals and missed a few chances. For a Scottish team to do that at this level of competition against opponents who have played well against Benfica and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League was pleasing. I was really proud with the level of composure they showed."
Rodgers was pleased that Nir Bitton, the central midfielder who once again started at centre half, silenced his doubters by helping Celtic to keep a clean sheet.
"There were big questions asked about Nir Bitton and a lot of speculation about him," he said. "But nobody knows me more than me. But he makes less mistakes than many centre backs. When he is under pressure he has that ability to find a midfield player.
“In this model and how we work, he is absolutely perfect for what’s needed to play in that position."
Rogic went off injured after a clash of heads in the second half, but Rodgers expects the Australian to be available for the second leg next Tuesday evening. "Tom is fine," he said. "He took a real whack on his head. But I think he's fine, he was smiling at the end.
“We’ll pick a team to win at Kilmarnock. I have the trust in all of the players. I’m clear with how we work, although mindful we have the game on Tuesday."
The Northern Irishman is also optimistic that Stuart Armstrong will sign a contract extension with Celtic in the coming days.
Asked when he expected the midfielder to put pen to paper, Rodgers said: "Hopefully imminently, in the next 24 to 48 hours, which will be absolutely brilliant for us because he is a player I think is a vital member of his squad."
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