Celtic drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League tonight. Kyogo and Luis Palma scored for Brendan Rodgers’ men who were positive in their overall performance.
It turned out to be a thrilling encounter at Parkhead, and it was one in which gaffer Rodgers made a few tactical tweaks. In the second half, the Irishman replaced goalscorer Palma with centre-half Nat Phillips.
Said alteration signified a switch to a back three for the Hoops, as Celtic lined up in a 3-5-2 formation for the closing stages. On this change, Rodgers said (TNT Sports): “It was just something I’d thought about before the game, I think I could see at that point of the game our backline getting stretched because they move the ball side to side very well. I felt we were just starting to experience some fatigue in the game maybe just because the speed of the game is not what we are used to. Bringing him [Phillips] in and going to a 3-5-2 with the extra body up front helped us defend when they stretched the line.”
Rodgers is a top-level coach, and his decision to make this switch tonight is a testament to this. The 50-year-old was wise in what he did, and it paid dividends in the end.
