“Every Mistake Punished by the Better Team” – Rodgers Reflects On Dortmund Humbling

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was candid in his post-match interview with TNT Sports, evaluating the Bhoys’ disappointing performance against Dortmund in Germany.

The Irishman was open about how the Hoops will improve next time out against Atalanta in Italy.

Rodgers said: (TNT Sports), “We are really disappointed with the result and performance. I don’t think I’ve been involved in a Game where every mistake we made got punished. That’s the level. We could’ve been better with the ball.

“Going down early spooked us a little bit and we didn’t play with the same confidence. Second half, the guys showed great spirit and we had more possession of the ball, took more risks to create. Ultimately, we were beaten by the better team.

“We will always assess it and look back. We wanted to press but we wanted to be in balance, be tight and compact. But there were too many times we ran out at the wrong moment and time. We were not in a compact shape, and top players punish you.

“We needed to have longer spells with the ball, we were too rushed. We were looking for that killer pass to early and constantly giving the ball away.”

Celtic will need a significant turnaround if they hope to stand any chance against last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta.

The Italian side are well-coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, who employs an attacking style that will likely pose similar challenges for the Hoops as Borussia Dortmund did.

The pressing question for Brendan Rodgers is whether he will opt for a more defensive approach to ensure the Bhoys are more solid at the back.

Tonight, they simply appeared alarmingly open at times, and against a clinical side like Atalanta, that vulnerability could be severely punished.