Atalanta’s relentless pressure and attacking prowess were not enough to secure a victory against Celtic in their UEFA Champions League encounter. The Italian side controlled the majority of the match, pinning the Scottish champions back in their own half, but ultimately failed to convert their numerous chances into goals.
Atalanta came close to opening the scoring early on when Mario Pasalic’s header struck the crossbar from close range. The home side continued to create chances, with Davide Zappacosta firing over from 12 yards and Kasper Schmeichel making a crucial save with his legs to deny Pasalic.
Despite being under constant pressure, Celtic managed a few forays forward. Arne Engels forced a save from Marco Carnesecchi with a curling effort, while in the second half, Alex Valle’s deflected shot required a fingertip save from the Atalanta goalkeeper.
Atalanta maintained their dominance after the break. Liam Scales made a vital intervention to prevent Mateo Retegui from scoring, while Mario Pasalic continued to be a threat with his headers. Schmeichel was called into action again, making an impressive save to deny Marten de Roon’s long-range effort.
This result leaves both teams in contention for qualification from their Champions League group. Atalanta will rue their missed opportunities, while Celtic will take confidence from their defensive performance against a strong attacking side.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (79′ Ruggeri); Bellanova (58′ Samardzic), de Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic (79′ Zaniolo); Lookman (69′ Cuadrado), Retegui (58′ De Ketelaere)
Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Scales, Trusty, Valle; Hatate (68′ Bernardo), McGregor, Engels (75′ McCowan); Kuhn (81′ Forrest), Idah (68′ Furuhashi), Maeda (75′ Palma)
