Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called for his players to create their own history in the Champions League against Barcelona tonight.

Neil Lennon’s Celtic famously defeated the La Liga side four years ago at Paradise, and the Scottish champions will need another special performance against the Catalan giants tonight.

However, Rodgers believes that his players need to disregard the past victories and create their own history ahead of the game.

Speaking to the Scotsman, Rodgers said:

My message now is to go and create new memories going forward. We can’t live in the past. The game in 2012 is here as motivation and inspiration, but we have to create our own memories.

In order to get a result against a team at this level you need to bring your ‘A’ game, you need to have lots of things that go with you. You need to play the game of your life and hope that you get that bit of luck. It’s certainly one where our players need to be at the top of their game.

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The Barcelona game in 2012 was a huge moment for the team. So, in order to get that victory, of course it’s going to take an extra special performance. It was a big performance from the players that played that night and Neil deserved that.

I think what the team has shown is that it has been able to do well in different games with an aggressive, attacking style of football. If we’re talking about a team to recover the game and recover the ball, that was a great performance when we played Manchester City here.

Luis Enrique’s side put seven past Celtic the last time the two sides met on matchday one in Europe’s premier competition, and the hat-trick hero on that night Lionel Messi is fit for the game at Paradise.

Celtic face Barcelona knowing that they need to win one of their two remaining Champions league games to have any hope of European football beyond Christmas.

After tonight’s game, the Hoops will begin preparations for the League Cup final against Aberdeen on Sunday, and could win Rodgers’ win major honour and well as the clubs 100th in its 129-year history.