THREE weeks earlier in Dortmund, they’d been a collection of individual players all having their own personal rotten night.
This time, Celtic were a team.
Back then, they’d made it easy for the Germans to run riot. Two or three sharp passes and were wider open than a jakey’s flies.
Now? Boy, did they make these classy Italians scrap for every inch of space on their own rain-soaked pitch.
What had disintegrated last time out into 11 guys looking out for themselves as it all went horribly wrong now held together like superglue as the Scottish champions fought like hell for each other.
It was a siege at times, no question. But it was a siege where they knew how to defend their castle, where they pulled up the drawbridge and repelled all boarders.
That’s all anyone asks of any team who’ve taken the kind of pounding Celtic did in Dortmund– that they work harder next time, that they work smarter next time, that they do the basics better next time.
Those basics, that workrate, those street-smarts were there for all to see on a night when so much damage was repaired and so much respect regained. This was proper, old-school, backs-to-the-wall European away football, the kind of which Celtic under Brendan Rodgers have so often seemed incapable.
So what a turning point it might be in their Champions League campaign, in their season, in their efforts to be taken seriously at the top level that at long last they’ve got it right on the road.
Against this supremely-fit outfit, a side confident enough to go one-v-one at the back and pile every else forward in a relentless recycling of attacks, this time they refused to cave.
They battered a million headers out of their own box. They made countless crucial blocks. They had a keeper who was solid whenever his defence was breached. Thay had wingers who double-teamed with their full-backs all evening long.
At times like these, on occasions like these, under as much pressure as this, it’s not nearly as much about strategy as it is about attitude, about willingness, about a bloody-minded determination not to let down your mates and your manager and your club and your fans.
The result of all this?
It racked up a first clean sheet in the continent’s premier tournament since a 3-0 win over Anderlecht back in 2017.
It earned them point that probably not even their most ridiculously-optimistic diehard had money on.
Even more importantly, though, it gives them an almighty lift as they dream of making the cash-soaked knockout stages.
How they rated
Celtic man-bys vs Atalanta
By DAVID FRIEL
- KASPER SCHMEICHEL – 8 Celtic needed a big display from the Dane and he delivered. Huge saves in both halves and was always calm with ball at his feet as he claimed a vital clean sheet.
- ALISTAIR JOHNSTON – 8 Booked within eight minutes and was left walking a tightrope – but kept his head after that. Vital challenge on Ademola Lookman before break and played through pain late on.
- AUSTON TRUSTY – 9 Best performance for Celtic so far. Put his head on countless crosses and was strong and composed against the Atalanta attack. Huge display from the USA defender.
- LIAM SCALES – 9 Outjumped by Mario Pasalic as he hit the bar early on, but the Irishman recovered to deliver a towering display. Won headers and made a series of vital interceptions.
- ALEX VALLE – 8 Huge test for the Barcelona loan kid and overcame early nerves to put in a strong display at left-back. Had a powerful shot deflected over in the second half.
- CALLUM McGREGOR – 7 Captain was a calm head in the middle of the park and tried to bring composure amid waves of Atalanta attacks. Plugged the gaps and led by example.
- ARNE ENGELS – 7 Covered the ground but couldn’t exert any influence in the midfield. Was unlucky with a 20-yard curler as Celtic and played his part in a big team shift.
- REO HATATE – 7 Ambitious volley flew over the bar early on and he always looked to get on the ball. Some lovely flicks and passes and worked hard before being subbed.
- NICOLAS KUHN – 7 Showed off his pace when he burst through in the first half but Atalanta covered the danger. Helped Alistair Johnston and tried to get Celtic up the pitch.
- ADAM IDAH – 6 Preferred to Kyogo Furuhashi in attack in order to provide a focal point but touch let him down far too often as Atalanta stopper Isak Hien won that battle.
- DAIZEN MAEDA – 6 Usual tireless shift on the left but can still be slack on the ball at this level. Whipped in a dangerous first-half cross but spent most of the game defending.
- SUBSTITUTES
PAULO BERNARDO (5) replaced the tiring Hatate and got stuck in. KYOGO (6) caused problems for Italians and sent a volley over. LUIS PALMA (4) got last 15 on the left wing. LUKE McCOWAN (4) made his Champions League debut. JAMES FORREST (4) winger came on late for Kuhn to provide experience for Celtic in closing stages.
Ask Rodgers, his players, the fans or the men in the boardroom and they’ll all swear that they’d have swallowed four 7-1 humpings away from home as long as they put together the nine or ten points from four nights at Parkhead that will probably be enough.
Sure, in isolation those humpings would hurt. The big picture, however, is qualification – and now, this unexpected bonus means two more wins might get them into the hat for the play-offs to reach the last 16.
But what’s best of all for all the guys who stood proud out there, not to mention for their gaffer, is that they now know they CAN do it.
They’ve now put down a template for their next tie against RB Leipzig, a way of playing that isn’t about risk far out-weighing reward but is instead about balancing the need to stay in the game with the constant readiness on the counter-attack that might just win them it.
They got that balance absolutely right here. They never once over-committed, never once left themselves tissue-thin at the back, never once forgot that football at this level is about results.
So bravo, Celtic. Here’s hoping this isn’t a freak result, that it’s the start of a new Celtic on foreign soil.
And, if he doesn’t take too much offence at the thought, here’s hoping when Brendan Rodgers reads and hears the torrent of positive comment which is heading his way, he’s as quick to acknowledge it as he was to bleat about the stick they got post-Dortmund.
Not only was his claim that people had been “storing it up for months” a dismal attempt to deflect blame for a dreadful performance, factually it was also miles off the mark.
Because when you’ve covered as many overseas drubbings for Scottish teams as I have, believe me – THIS is the kind of analysis you’ve stored up for far too long.
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