Former Celtic striker and now pundit Chris Sutton has raised questions about how his old club will approach their upcoming Champions League clash against Atalanta on Wednesday.
After a bruising 7-1 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund a few weeks ago, Celtic will be keen to bounce back, but the key talking point heading into this tie is how the Hoops will set up tactically.
Sutton, never one to hold back, admitted he’s uncertain about how Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will approach the match, but he made it clear that adjustments must be made to avoid another hammering.
Speaking on Sky Sports before the trip to Italy, Sutton shared his thoughts on how Celtic could avoid a similar outcome to Dortmund against the aggressive Serie A side.
“After the walloping they had in Dortmund, it’s going to be a big talking point, how Celtic set up in Italy against Atalanta,” Sutton said. “Atalanta are an aggressive team, they will attack Celtic. Will Celtic be a little bit more pragmatic?”
Sutton is calling for a more cautious approach from the Bhoys, suggesting that being more defensively organised could be the key to keeping Atalanta at bay. “There’s nothing wrong with shutting up shop and having a really tight midfield and not letting the opposition play through you,” he added.
This hints that the former striker believes a more compact and disciplined style might be necessary to stop the Italians from exploiting Celtic’s backline.
“The truth of it is, Celtic fans will be looking at this game and seeing if Celtic have learned any lessons from the performance in Dortmund,” Sutton concluded.
Celtic supporters will undoubtedly hope that lessons have been learned, with their side needing to show resilience and tactical discipline to avoid another embarrassing defeat on the European stage.
As the Hoops prepare for the trip to Bergamo, all eyes will be on whether they can deliver a more solid performance against Gian Piero Gasperini’s free-flowing Atalanta side. It will be a true test of Celtic’s adaptability and resolve.
