THE remarkable rise of RasenBallsport Leipzig from the fifth tier of German football to the prominent position they now occupy has, even with the not inconsiderable financial backing of their owners Red Bull, taken many in the European game aback in recent seasons.

Brendan Rodgers, however, is not one of them. He received an early indication of just how ambitious the unfashionable club from the former East Germany were during his time in charge of Liverpool when he had a lengthy discussion with their legendary manager Ralf Rangnick.

The vision that Rangnick, the former VfB Stuttgart, Hannover 96 and Schalke 04 head coach who had helped 1899 Hoffenheim complete their own incredible journey from obscurity to the top flight in his homeland, had shone through.

So the subsequent success of the Saxony outfit – they were second in the Bundesliga going into the weekend and are competing in the Europa League group stages for the second season running – who Celtic will take on in the Red Bull Arena on Thursday evening has come as little surprise to Rodgers.

“I’ve never met Ralf, but I spoke to him on the phone when I was at Liverpool when they were in the second division in Ger­many and looking to come through,” he said.

“He told me all about the project they were working on. He invited me out there but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do that at that time. He’s a good guy and someone who has devoted his life to football.

“Ralf’s done a great job and has made them very competitive. He has been there for a long time so the ethos of how they work was all set up by him. He clearly has a love of the club and how he wants them to ­develop. And he still has the energy to manage and be on the training field every day.”

Rival supporters opposed to the corporate ownership model of RB Leipzig have protested at and even boycotted their games since they joined the Bundesliga and they have been branded “the most hated club in Germany”.

Rodgers, though, believes the backing of the energy drinks comp-any is indicative of the changing face of professional football.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” he said. “They’re developing players. They’ve invested into the infrastructure. I don’t think there is any doubt both Red Bull teams [their sister club Salzburg are also in their Europa League section] see themselves as Champions League clubs; the structure of the club, everything about them, is built around being in there. It will be a tough examination.”

Leipzig, who recovered from an opening 3-2 loss to Salzburg at home with a 3-1 win over Rosenborg away, are unlikely to catch out Rodgers with their approach to the Group B match.

“The Leipzig style has evolved,” he said. “Coming through, Leipzig were a team very happy not to have the ball and play on the counter, flooding forward.

“They played in a 4-4-2 system with two wingers right in and were very strong and fast on the counter-attack. They moved away from that for a little while, but, looking at some of their recent games, they’re trying to get back to that type of football.”

It will be difficult for Celtic to bounce back from the 3-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Salzburg in Austria at the start of the month with a win or even a draw.

If their captain and first-choice central midfielder Scott Brown, who limped off in the 4-2 win over Hibernian at Parkhead yesterday, is missing it will be especially hard. His absence was certainly keenly felt against Salzburg at the start of the month.

But Rodgers is confident McGregor, who slotted into his skipper's role against yesterday and acquitted himself well, will be able to deputise there if Brown fails to recover.

“Collectively they are a good side,” he said. “But we have got to go and show our quality. Whatever the result is, it is about the performance as well. We will want to go there and play better than we have played. We want to go and show more of what our true face is.

“Browny is certainly a great reference for the team in midfield where he can take the ball. But it is the responsibility of everyone in the side. The players know when we have the ball we need to have enough players looking to receive it, moving off it.”

The potential absence of Leigh Griffiths, who is doubtful due to the calf problem and illness that kept him out of the Ladbrokes Premiership match against Hibernian at Parkhead yesterday, is not a concern to Rodgers. He is confident Odsonne Edouard, who netted in the second minute against Salzburg and helped himself to a brace yesterday, is more than capable of leading the line by himself in Germany despite his tender years.

“We are confident we can get goals,” he said. “He [Edouard] is not a target man. The ball can go up to him and he can hold it up and lots of times it will stay. But he’s different to, say, Moussa [Dembele].

“He has different physicality, is a different type. He’s 6ft 2in, he’s strong and he’s quick. I’d like to think he’ll be a good reference.”