Celtic saved their first Champions League clear sheet for seven years as they held Europa League champions Atalanta to a goalless attract Bergamo.
Brendan Rodgers set his group as much as defend deep, eager to keep away from a repeat of the 7-1 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund of their final European outing, and was defiant after his aspect produced the right response.
“It gives them the confidence that they can defend against a top team,” the Celtic boss mentioned after the sport.
“I’m not sure whether that was pragmatic enough for people. I don’t know, but we go out in every game to be structured and defend well.”
The sport might have resulted in otherwise had Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic been extra scientific.
Pasalic missed 5 large possibilities, a feat solely 4 different gamers had managed within the Champions League because the 2010/11 season, 4 of these coming within the first half. The midfielder hit the goal simply as soon as from his six efforts on objective.
Celtic had been extra comfy within the second half, regardless of ceding much more possession to their hosts, largely as a result of they stopped the stream of crosses from former Chelsea wing-back Davide Zappacosta, who created all his 4 possibilities within the first half.
Rodgers’ aspect at the moment are on 4 factors after three video games within the Champions League, which pushes them additional away from the elimination locations, whereas Atalanta have 5 factors on the finish of gameweek three, sitting simply shy of automated qualification.
Rodgers solutions critics with large defensive show
Celtic had not saved a clear sheet within the Champions League since beating Anderlecht 3-0 within the group phases in 2017. It took a humbling by the hands of Dortmund to get them there.
Rodgers, who additionally oversaw that victory seven years in the past, insisted earlier than the sport that Celtic’s devastating defeat was the results of just a few early targets “spooking” his gamers. There was a way that the criticism, and ideas of naivety, had angered him.
Celtic discovered their classes and took a extra sensible method in Italy, lowering their risk-taking within the build-up by beginning Adam Idah up entrance, and taking part in a extra direct model of soccer.
Kasper Schmeichel performed his half, turning into the primary Celtic goalkeeper to make six saves and preserve a clear sheet within the competitors since 2003/04, whereas Auston Trusty was firm on the again, making 10 headed clearances to maintain Atalanta out.
Celtic’s gamers salute the travelling help after seeing out a goalless draw
The response from Celtic has greater than answered their critics and earned them a large level within the context of retaining their hopes of Champions League development alive. Again-to-back dwelling video games in opposition to RB Leipzig and Membership Bruges await.
Atalanta’s profligacy was, after all, partly behind Celtic retaining a clear sheet, however the Hoops labored for his or her luck in Italy.
Rodgers: Was that pragmatic sufficient?
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers:
“It gives them the confidence that they can defend against a top team.
“I am unsure whether or not that was pragmatic sufficient for individuals. I do not know, however we exit in each recreation to be structured and defend properly.
“You know you’re going to get pushed back. But I think the confidence that it gives you when you can defend against the very best teams, that level and that concentration, then it will give them a huge boost.
“The focus within the recreation was excellent and it’s essential have it with the expertise that they’ve, you are speaking concerning the highest goalscorers in Italian soccer.
“So to come here, play with that concentration, that commitment and still carry a threat when we had the ball was very, very pleasing. The players showed great courage, concentrated on what it is they had to do, defend the box well, shift, slide and it was a really, really good point for us.”
Trusty: We confirmed the world what we are able to do
Celtic defender Auston Trusty:
“Dortmund was just one of those games. The beauty of football is that there’s always another game, you can react and show the world what team you really are.
“Typically you simply have these nights, and clearly that is an evening we would by no means wish to see once more or really feel once more. That put a pit in our stomachs, so we needed to come back out right here and present the world what we are able to do and what sort of group we actually are.
“If they want to cross the ball, then I love heading the ball and being in a position to win tackles and also make any defensive play I can,” he mentioned.
“So however they want to play, I adjust to it and I do my thing.
“Taking part in final yr within the Premier League, I noticed it as one of the best league in your entire world.
“So I’m used to these situations and I think I can bring a lot of expertise to this squad and to this organisation where I can be a leader in the team, be a leader on the pitch and off the pitch.”
Match stats: An enormous night time for Celtic
- Atalanta tonight turned simply the second group on report within the UEFA Champions League (2008-09 onwards) to have 20+ photographs and 50+ touches within the opposition field and never rating a objective, together with Paris Saint-Germain in opposition to Borussia Dortmund in final season’s semi-final second leg.
- Tonight’s goalless draw has ended a run of 85 consecutive video games in main European matches with no 0-0 for Celtic, with their final 0-0 draw coming in opposition to Benfica again in September 2012 in a UEFA Champions League match.
- Celtic have saved a UEFA Champions League clear sheet for the primary time since September 2017 in a 3-0 win over Anderlecht, ending a run of 18 video games with out one through which they shipped 51 targets.
- Mario Pasalic had six photographs with out scoring for Atalanta tonight, the joint most by an Atalanta participant in a UEFA Champions League match with out discovering the web, together with Duván Zapata in opposition to FC Midtjylland in December 2020.
