Brendan Rodgers calls for 'aggressive' display against Atalanta.

2024-10-17

As Atalanta aim to secure consecutive Champions League victories for the first time since 2020, they prepare to host a Celtic side eager to overcome their dire record on Italian soil at the iconic Gewiss Stadium.

Atalanta

Atalanta face Celtic on UCL Match Day 3, hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the competition as they currently stand undefeated [DW]. The Goddess showcased their strength with a commanding 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on UCL Match Day 3, which helped them climb to 11th place following a goalless draw with Arsenal on the opening day.

Fresh from a 2-0 victory against newly promoted Venezia in Serie A, Atalanta find themselves on an impressive three-game winning run across all competitions [LDWWW]. Notably, this will be the first meeting between these two sides and Atalanta’s first encounter with any Scottish team.

After their previous convincing win, Atalanta aim to secure successive victories in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since March 2020. Additionally, with clean sheets in each of their last four games in major European competitions, La Dea could become the first Italian side to achieve five consecutive shutouts since AC Milan's streak in April 2023.

On the tactical front, a 3—4—2—1 formation is expected, featuring Mateo Retegui, who scored against Venezia, leading the attack. Supporting him will likely be Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, who are positioned behind the in-form Italian. However, Gian Piero Gasperini will have to cope without several key players, including Gianluca Scamacca and Marco Brescianini.

Celtic

Celtic, on the other hand, will be keen to bounce back after a heavy 7-1 loss to Dortmund on UCL Match Day 2. That defeat extended their winless streak against German opposition in the UEFA Champions League, marking a fifth consecutive loss to such teams.

A 2-2 draw against Aberdeen at the weekend does little to inspire confidence, especially given their poor track record on the road in the competition against Italian outfits. Away from home, Celtic have lost every one of their seven Champions League visits to Italy.

Since beating RSC Anderlecht 3-0 in September 2017, Celtic have experienced defeat in eight of their last nine away matches in the UEFA Champions League. They have also lost their last seven games against Italian teams by an aggregate score of 15-1 since a 2-1 win over Milan in October 2007.

Brendan Rodgers has urged his side to be ‘aggressive’, despite being wary of the opposition. "Atalanta, having played them before and obviously seen them play, it's a totally different game. They're probably the best man-to-man marking team in world football," he remarked after the draw with Aberdeen.

A 4-3-3 formation featuring Kyogo Furuhashi, Maeda, and Nicolas Kühn in attack is expected against Atalanta on Wednesday.