Brendan Rodgers outlines what went wrong for Celtic, evaluates penalty calls, and provides a short explanation on crucial man’s status

Celtic led 2-0 at the interval after goals from Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi, but Aberdeen rallied after the break and levelled through Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie.

Dons substitute Duk then had a goal disallowed for handball before surviving a VAR check for the same offence right at the end of 13 minutes of stoppage-time after clearing Alistair Johnston’s shot off the line.

Rodger  believed his team did enough to win, but felt they also contributed to their second-half downfall. His side were caught out by Jamie McGrath’s through ball for Sokler’s goal before Shinnie hit a deflected effort after Daizen Maeda gifted possession to the Dons deep in his half.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers walks off after the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen. | SNS Group

“We got punished for being careless, I felt, in that 10-minute period,” Rodgers said. “We had good control in the first half, should have been more in front, and then probably around about that 50th minute to the 60th minute, a little bit passive without the ball, lacked aggression.

“But then after that, we go again, and whatever it was, 32 shots or something at goal, and a mixture of really good defending and goalkeeping, we didn’t get the winner.”

Rodgers, who is unsure whether Cameron Carter-Vickers will return from a toe injury for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta, continued: “I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, coming on the back of all the guys travelling around the world and coming back in together, but I would expect us to see that game through.

“They obviously make the changes, and obviously the guy coming on runs in behind, and that’s his strength, to get the goal, and you have to give them a big credit for that, and Jimmy and his team, they’re well coached, well organised, and the changes worked for him.

“But when I look at it from our perspective, he doesn’t get the through ball at all if our press is right. It just doesn’t come.

“And that’s what I’m talking about, being a bit passive and a bit careless on it, because the thing we talked about before the game was this is a game where we want to dominate the ball, but we’ll only do that by being really super aggressive without it.

Adam Idah’s reaction says it all after a good chance. | SNS Group

Rodgers was philosophical on what appeared tight calls not to award his team penalties for a trip on Luke McCowan right on the edge of the penalty box and then Duk’s block on the line.

“The penalty one, it looked close, but you have to respect the referee’s decisions,” admitted Rodgers. “The handball one, I haven’t seen it to be honest, but the guys on the bench said they’re not sure it was.”

The Northern Irishman is also unsure whether Carter-Vickers, who has not featured since a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, will be available for Wednesday’s trip to Bergamo. Celtic continue to miss the centre-half’s presence and on the American’s status, Rodgers was short, saying: “I don’t know, I’ll see tomorrow.”