Everything Brendan Rodgers Said After Celtic’s 0-0 Draw with Atalanta
How close was that to the perfect European performance from Celtic?
“You certainly need a performance like that against a team of this level. The concentration throughout the game was superb, and you need that against a side like Atalanta. They are the highest goalscorers in Italian football.
“To come here, play with that level of concentration and commitment, and still carry a threat when we had the ball was very, very pleasing. The players showed great courage and stayed focused on what they had to do—defending the box well, shifting, sliding. It’s a really good point for us.”
What does the result say about the team’s mentality?
“I said before that sometimes games like the one against Dortmund are great to learn from. If you saw Dortmund last night, they conceded five goals in the second half—it shows the level we are playing at.
“After the Dortmund game, I told the players we didn’t want to feel that way again. But there were things beyond their control in that game. As a coach or player, you control maybe 20%—the rest comes down to referees, decisions, luck.
“In Dortmund, two penalties went against us, and a couple of deflected goals made it four down quickly. But I never doubted the players. We bounced back with a win straight after and then came here, against a side with power and quality, and stood tall. The way the players concentrated and fought tonight, I’m really proud.”
How important were Auston Trusty and Alex Valle in defence?
“You know you have to defend well, especially inside the box. The two centre-halves made some massive headers tonight. Scales has been doing that for a while now—he’s excellent in those situations.
“Alex, for a young player, showed his potential at this level. He just needs to tidy up a bit with the ball, as we all do at times. We played through their press well in parts but got a little excited and gave it away. That’s just experience—learning when to slow the game down and control the rhythm.
“But defensively, we were brilliant. The two lads in the back line were outstanding, as was the entire team.”
Was that a breakout game for Trusty?
“He’s doing amazing, especially playing on his unnatural side. He’s a left-sided defender, but we’ve had him on the right. It’s not as smooth for him there, but his physicality is crucial for us.
“He won’t be outrun—he’s quick—and when the crosses came in, he made some huge headers. He’s learning at this level, and tonight’s performance will help him grow.”
How valuable was this point in your Champions League campaign?
“To have four points from three games is a great position to be in. Our first game was brilliant—everything was there, both offensively and defensively. The Dortmund match speaks for itself, and we’ve learned from it.
“Coming here, against a top team with serious talent, and keeping a clean sheet for a point is a big achievement. Four points at this stage matches what we had last year, and we’ve got five games to go. Hopefully, we can build on this and collect more points to get where we want to be by January. Tonight was a real confidence boost.”
What does a result like this do for the players?
“It gives them the belief that they can defend against top teams. Maybe it wasn’t pragmatic enough for some, I don’t know, but we aim to be structured and defend well in every game.
“You know you’ll get pushed back against teams like this. But the concentration and discipline we showed will give the players a huge lift. Defending like that at this level boosts confidence massively.”
Did you start to feel comfortable as Atalanta struggled to score late on?
“In the first half, they got through a few times, but less so as the game went on. We broke through their press better and tidied up our passing in the second half.
“But you’re never truly comfortable until the final whistle. Especially against a top side. Sometimes, luck goes against you—opponents get a corner with 20 seconds to go, and you wonder if they’ll score.
“But tonight, we stood up and were counted. We defended manfully.”