Kenny Dalglish insists Celtic close to cracking Champions League code but Brendan Rodgers must deliver Euro necessity

Kenny Dalglish believes Celtic are close to cracking the Champions League code.

The former Parkhead hero has kept a keen eye on his old club’s exploits against Europe’s elite. Boss Brendan Rodgers wants to make an impact in the competition, but his side have suffered losses in their opening two group games to Feyenoord and Lazio. However, Celtic have shown promise in spells of both matches and Dalglish says just a little extra endurance and quality can bring positive results.

He said: “They were a wee bit unlucky against Lazio. To lose one right in the last minute was disappointing, but that’s the level you are playing at. The goal that was chopped off, he [Luis Palma] was offside, but it’s a fraction. Daizen Maeda just touched it. If he misses it it still goes to the same place and the boys still puts it in. But that’s what it’s all about. You look at the Celtic/Rangers game when they [officials] gave a foul. It could just as easily have gone the other way. It’s fine margins everywhere and they’ve got no points.

“They had a problem trying to get a team out for the first one at Feyenoord, but I thought the referee was out of order. I didn’t think it was one of his better performances.

“Last year against Real Madrid they hit the bar and the post in the first half. They were flying. They never had anything left come the hour and they got the better of them. It was the same in Leipzig.

“If they can last the hour in the game and then keep going with the quality that they have, eventually they are going to get a result.

“Whether it will be this year or not, I don’t know. But they have left themselves with a bit to do. They’ve got to get themselves at least into the Europa League. ”

Dalglish, meanwhile, talked up Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips as Rodgers begins to get more defenders back from injuries for the final four games of the section.