Celtic secure Champions League point by keeping Atalanta at bay | Champions League

There should be no embarrassment at all about the extent of the Celtic celebration that greeted the confirmation of a draw in northern Italy. The fact that Atalanta ran out of ideas long before the end of this exciting encounter was primarily due to Celtic's rousing reaction to the events in Dortmund at the beginning of October.

On that tough evening in Germany, Brendan Rodgers watched his players get beaten 7-1. The aftermath was – understandably for everyone except the Celtic manager himself – epic. Rodgers insisted he and his team were “hit over the head with a stick” after last season's beaten finalists were left in turmoil. There is no need for metaphorical weapons this week. Rodgers fired back in the best possible way.

Celtic had to show defensive organization against the Europa League champions, not be willing to make easy mistakes under pressure and show composure on the ball. Tick, tick, tick. Rodgers was able to tell a story of redemption during his postgame media briefing. Watching the Italians, you could certainly appreciate Celtic's resilience. “The players showed great courage,” said Rodgers. “This is a really, really good point for us. We were brilliant defensively. I never doubted the players and their mentality. We stood up and were counted. Tonight was a really big confidence boost.” Four points from three games, considering the level in two of them, is suddenly a very decent return from Celtic.

This was followed by a smile from Rodgers and a veiled swipe at his critics. “I’m not sure that was pragmatic enough for some people,” the ex-Liverpool manager added. He deserved this in return.

According to statistics, Atalanta had 25 shots on goal. Obsessed with expected goals will be annoyed by the outcome here. Still, Gian Piero Gasperini's side were surprisingly outspoken, thanks in part to Celtic. One cross after another flew past Atalanta's attackers or was answered half-heartedly. Liam Scales and Auston Trusty provided an excellent partnership at the heart of the Celtic defense. There was no sign that Atalanta would grab a late winner, which seemed strange given the context of both teams. Atalanta have scored 18 goals in eight Serie A games. Her drawing of a blank highlighted the wonderful unpredictability of football.

Atalanta had been inefficient in the opening phase. Their early territorial dominance went without reward. Mario Pasalic appeared to score but fired his shot straight at Kasper Schmeichel's legs. Alistair Johnston made an excellent save from Ademola Lookman a minute before half-time. These incidents and a header from Mateo Retegui that Schmeichel saved were the sum of Atalanta's chances in the first half. Celtic went into the dressing room 1-5 after 45 minutes in Dortmund; In comparison, this was a moral victory. Celtic were semi-threatening on the counterattack against a team known for wasting chances.

Five minutes after the restart, Alex Valle almost scored Celtic's unlikely lead. Instead, the full-back's deflected shot flew just over Marco Carnesecchi. Isak Hien headed wide and Marten de Roon forced Schmeichel into action from distance as Atalanta tried to diffuse the frustration in the stands. It was just a matter of intensification.

Gian Piero Gasperini's next move caused a stir. Retegui, the top scorer in Italy's top flight, was withdrawn just before the hour. Lookman also soon left, having failed to properly influence the proceedings against a team that wanted to sign him in his youth. Rodgers responded by replacing Adam Idah with Kyogo Furuhashi. The Irishman had been a surprising choice to lead Celtic's attack from the start. Idah spent 68 minutes on the sidelines, which he believes was hardly his fault. Furuhashi's advance visibly worried Atalanta.

Gasperini became increasingly agitated. Davide Zappacosta found Schmeichel's side netting while his teammates screamed for a pass. Celtic's test 20 minutes before the end of the game was a test of mental and physical strength. Valle caught Furuhashi with a wonderful ball from deep, but the Japanese player's attempted chip was denied by Atalanta's goalkeeper. Celtic had no further chances, which hardly worried them.

Hien headed over Schmeichel's crossbar in stoppage time. Celtic knew they had secured a point. The Green-Whites' celebration despite their exhaustion suggested that what was happening meant much more. “We took a practical approach,” said Schmeichel. Whatever the label was, it was also very effective. Celtic can shoot for the Champions League stars again. Perhaps Rodgers will have the last laugh by ensuring Dortmund are the outliers of this campaign.