Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini was frustrated post-match after Celtic held the Italian side to a 0-0 draw in Bergamo, with Auston Trusty and Kasper Schmeichel keeping the Italian side’s potent attack at bay.
The Europa League champions dominated possession but failed to really test Schmeichel, with the Dane performing well when called upon.
Much of the lack of clear-cut chances was due to the defending of Auston Trusty and Liam Scales.
Gasperini said: (The Star), “It was a cursed match. We created so many chances, around 23 shots on goal, but we just couldn’t score.
“We dominated for long stretches, keeping Celtic’s speedy players away from danger, but we lacked quality in the final third.
“We missed that decisive spark, the shot, the final pass, the winning header.”
Celtic had the defensive answers for Atalanta’s attack, which may come as a surprise given their impressive offensive prowess.
However, to a man, every Hoops player gave their all in Italy in an unbelievable performance, which will take a few days for each player to recover from due to all the hard work they put in to defend and win the ball.
Brendan Rodgers got his tactics right on the night, and for all the criticism he faced after the 7-1 defeat to Dortmund, he was at his very tactical best, taking inspiration from José Mourinho, who Rodgers previously worked under at Chelsea as academy head coach.
