Paris St-Germain 7-1 Celtic: Brendan Rodgers praises visitors' efforts

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers described the disappointment of losing seven goals to Paris St-Germain as less severe than shipping the same number to Barcelona last season.

Celtic were thumped 7-1 by an immense PSG team in the French capital.

But Rodgers felt there were more positives to take from this game than his first Champions League group match, which Celtic lost 7-0 in the Camp Nou.

"In a strange way, I thought there were lots of good moments for us," he said.

"We came off after Barcelona and it was a tough one for us because we didn't give anything in the game.

"Whereas tonight, we made a great start, which gave us belief. You could see that in how we were playing, defending strongly and had a real good focus and real good quality in the game.

Brendan Rodgers' Celtic side suffered a 7-1 drubbing in Paris

"We give the ball away in midfield and that gives them the opportunity to get the goal. The spell after that I was probably most disappointed with. You analyse the goals we gave away, they were disappointing goals.

"When it gets to 4-1 you try to limit the damage and I thought we were compact in defence, and then they score three goals out of nothing really.

"The lessons for us: we can keep the ball better, defend better at set-pieces but you also have to admire the sheer quality of PSG."

'You're watching the world's best'

In suffering these seven-goal humiliations at the hands of Barcelona, then PSG, Rodgers has overseen Celtic's heaviest defeats in Europe.

He accepts that the club's greatest challenge is bridging the gap between themselves and Europe's superpowers.

Edinson Cavani nudged home his side's third goal, and later volleyed a superb sixth

"We're up against it if we qualify as champions of Scotland because there's always going to be at least a couple of teams in the group who are vying to win the competition," he said.

"When you're playing against a superior team, at times their technique is maybe a slightly higher level. What you're watching here is the world's best.

"My players, from where they were when we came in to where they are now - they're at a very good level but of course it's not the level of PSG."

'We'll be fine for Sunday'

Rodgers believes the phenomenal quality of the opposition makes losing seven goals in Paris less difficult to bear and recover from.

Defending champions Celtic face Motherwell in Sunday's Scottish League Cup final, but the Parkhead boss insists lifting his players' spirits will not be difficult.

"Of course professional pride at losing seven goals, you're not so happy about but it's dovetailed with admiration for a team that I'll be very surprised if they don't make the final," the Celtic boss added.

Celtic's players face a Scottish League Cup final date with Motherwell on Sunday

"That sheer level of quality they have in their team and the confidence with which they play with each other [is impressive].

"So we'll be absolutely fine [for Sunday's League Cup final against Motherwell], disappointed of course but even more determined to win now."