Brendan Rodgers exonerates Celtic returnee Cameron Carter-Vickers for role in 'harsh' Lazio winner

Celtic manager Bredan Rodgers exonerated the returning Cameron Carter-Vickers for his role in Lazio’s 95th minute winner in the club’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to the Italians - despite the move that resulted in the Pedro Rodriguez goal ensuing from US defender initially losing possession to the attacker 30 yards from his own goal.

Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers looks dejected after his error led to Lazio's late winner. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Carter-Vickers was only introduced into the contest in the 62nd minute, following almost seven weeks sidelined with a hamstring injury. But even as his foray forward as Celtic sought a late winner left gaps in the home backline that Lazio were able to exploit for a torturous climax for the Scottish champions, Rodgers alighted on collective failings as opposed to any individual error.

“There’s no blame on Cam,” the Celtic manager said. “Obviously they steal the ball from him but if we are in a better position we deal with the cross [that subsequently comes in, it would have been different]. The learning from it as a team is don’t be coming out of the space until you’ve got control of the ball and control of the game. But there was lots of really good stuff to take into the next game.

“Clearly we want to win every game that we play. There was maybe that mindset that we have control of the ball and we are running out of position. That’s just the idea of wanting to win the game. But it’s a level where it was a really good cross and a fantastic header by Pedro. But if I look at it from our perspective we can negate the goal just by our positioning. That was the only disappointment from our perspective. But overall I think we played some really good football at times. We had control and were playing through the lines in midfield and got into good areas but we didn’t quite get a result to match.”

Rodgers maintained the result was desperately unfair on his team after they had been in the ascendancy for much of the second period. Subsequent to being pegged back with a 28th header by Matias Vecino that came from poorly defended corner after making a superb start with a brilliantly crafted and executed 11th minute opener that provided Kyogo Furuhashi with his first goal in the competition.

“I’m bitterly disappointed because I felt we totally deserved to take something,” he said. “We got off to a great start, scored a great goal. I was disappointed with the goal that we conceded because we have to do better defending the corner. But I thought, going into the second half - apart from the one opportunity they had late on - we had good control and we were getting through them. It looked like a matter of time before we could score.

“We got the goal but unfortunately Daizen got a touch on it and made it offside. I thought at that point we deserved to get in front. We arrived into some really good areas, we just couldn’t quite take the opportunities. To then concede late on like we did was really harsh on us - but there’s a learning there. You have to secure the ball - if you’re not going to win it at that stage then you certainly can’t lose it. So that’s a big learning. But the players gave everything. I’m just disappointed for the players and supporters that we couldn’t get the result.”

Rodgers was circumspect about where back-to-back losses against Lazio and Feyenoord leaves hopes of progress in the Champions League as it leaves them pointless and bottom of Group E before a double-header with Atletico Madrid who will visit Glasgow in three weeks. Their current standing diminishing prospects even of earning the third place that would secure them a Europa League opportunity.

“We were under no illusions coming into this competition about where we sat. I said at the beginning that our idea was to qualify for European football and that will still be the ambition and still be our mentality. We have shown over the two games against good sides that we can compete. We just have to tidy up on one or two moments in the game and maybe get a little bit of luck go our way. We will still fight in every single game to get that qualification.”

More exasperating for Celtic is that Lazio came into the encounter as a team betraying vulnerabilities after only two wins in seven Serie A games, one win on the road in Europe in 18 outings, and no victories on unfamiliar soil in the Champions League in two decades. All of which, and the circumstances in halting that run, allowed Maurizio Sarri to paint a different picture of his team.

“After 20 years we finished second in Serie A and after 20 years we have won away in the Champions League so it has been a good few months for us,” he said. “Celtic is a difficult team, as you expect to find in the UK. They play with intensity but also with speed and technical ability. The stadium can be intimidating for away teams but we reacted well. “To score a winning goal in the 96th minute… what do you want me to say! The character of this group is never in doubt. We have stepped up to the mark in Europe.”