Celtic's Defensive Resilience Shines

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After a 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund, Celtic entered this match with a more cautious approach. Brendan Rodgers set his team up to defend deep, determined to avoid a repeat of the disaster in Germany. Despite Atalanta dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the Scottish side stood firm.

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Mario Pasalic was the main culprit for Atalanta, missing five big opportunities, with four of those coming in the first half. This made him only the fifth player in Champions League history to miss five significant chances in a single game since the 2010/11 season.

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Celtic Bounce Back After Dortmund Thrashing

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Rodgers’ tactical adjustments worked. Celtic tightened up at the back, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel making six crucial saves. Defender Auston Trusty also played a key role, making 10 headed clearances to ensure the Italians couldn't find a way through.

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Celtic’s more direct style of play and reduced risk-taking in possession helped them weather the storm and take a valuable point, pushing them to four points in their group after three matches. This result leaves Celtic in a stronger position to fight for progression to the knockout stages.

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Key Match Stats

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• - First Clean Sheet in Seven Years: Celtic secured their first Champions League clean sheet since a 3-0 victory over Anderlecht in 2017, ending a run of 18 matches without one.
• - Pasalic's Misses: Mario Pasalic missed five big chances in this game, a feat managed by only four other players in the Champions League since 2010/11.
• - Atalanta's Frustration: Atalanta became just the second team in Champions League history (since 2008-09) to have 20+ shots and 50+ touches in the opposition box without scoring.

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Rodgers: "Dortmund Loss Fueled Us"

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Speaking after the match, Brendan Rodgers reflected on the importance of the clean sheet and how the heavy defeat to Dortmund motivated his players:

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"After that result, we didn’t want to experience it again. It was a trampoline effect that pushed us to improve. Tonight, we showed great concentration and commitment to keep a clean sheet against one of the top-scoring teams in Italy."

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Celtic now look ahead to back-to-back home games against RB Leipzig and Club Bruges, where they will hope to build on this positive result and push further in their Champions League campaign.

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