Italian Serie A side Atalanta faced off against Celtic at home and ended in a frustrating goalless draw. Despite the disappointing result, manager Gian Piero Gasperini had positive words for his team’s performance. Atalanta controlled the majority of possession and consistently pushed Celtic deep into their own half, a rare feat against such a strong opponent. However, their struggles in finding the final ball prevented them from creating clear-cut scoring opportunities, with Mario Pasalic coming close by hitting the post in the first half.
Following the match, Gasperini spoke to Sky Italia and highlighted how his team managed to keep Celtic pinned back, even though it didn’t translate into a victory. He mentioned that the Scottish side appeared more defensively compact and organized than in previous encounters, which made it challenging for Atalanta to break them down. Gasperini acknowledged that, despite their good overall performance, his team lacked the quality in the final third that could have resulted in a positive outcome.
This draws parallels to their previous match against Arsenal, where a missed penalty cost them the victory. The accumulation of missed opportunities raises questions about whether Atalanta will rue these dropped points in the long run. As they reflect on their performances in these critical matches, Gasperini and his team will be looking to improve their finishing and capitalize on their dominance in possession in future games.
