Rodgers Warns Celtic About World Class Atalanta Tactical Trait

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed Atalanta for their defensive stability and praised them in one key area.

The Hoops Travel to face the Bergamo side in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow evening.

Although their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on Saturday eventually extended their lead over Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership, the Hoops must put in a much better display if they are to take anything home from Italy this week.

Atalanta warmed up for Wednesday’s game with a thorough 2-0 win over Venezia yesterday.

Gian Piero Gasperini has emphasised the need for his side to take the Hoops seriously. On the other hand, his opposite number, Rodgers, praised the Italians for one key part of their set-up.

Indeed, the Parkhead boss thinks the Italians are one of the best sides in the world at man-marking, as he stated how different Wednesday’s Game will be from Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash against the Dons. 

“Atalanta, having played them before and obviously seen them play, it’s a totally different Game,” he said (STV).

“They’re probably the best man-to-man marking team in world Football, how they work.

“The Football will be different, but we’ve already had that.

“If you’re not quite on it, and you’re not compact, and you’re not tight, and you’re not aggressive, you can get punished at the very highest level.”

Celtic will prioritise avoiding a scalp similar to the one in Dortmund a few weeks ago going into midweek.

Boss Rodgers has been criticised for his tactical approach against elite European sides, and he likely will not change his ways on Wednesday.

Although the Hoops’ league phase points will likely come against lesser opposition than Atalanta, fans don’t want an all-too-familiar story to play itself out in Bergamo.