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Schmeichel Holds Atalanta in 0-0 Stalemate Against Celtic

Gasperini’s men played a fine game that they deserved to win but were thwarted by the wall erected by the former Leicester player, who kept the goal inviolate. Gasperini moves up to 5th place in the standings, while the Scots react to their resounding defeat against Borussia.

Atalanta and Celtic drew 0-0 in one of the midweek games valid for the third round of the Champions League. The match was controlled by Gasperini’s men, who, based on performances, would have deserved the win but ran into hurdles, especially in the first half, against Schmeichel, who was the best player on the field. The Bergamo team halted their streak of three consecutive wins between the Champions League and the domestic league but climbed to 5th place in the standings, while the Scots showed a response following their 7-1 loss to Dortmund in the previous round.

Coaches’ Choices

Gian Piero Gasperini recovered both Hien and Kolasinac in defense and fielded them from the start. Upfront, Pasalic operated in the attacking midfield with Retegui and Lookman as the offensive terminals. It was the usual 4-3-3 for Brendan Rodgers despite the absences of Taylor and Carter-Vickers: Idah led the attack supported by Kuhn and Maeda.

First Half

The game started with high intensity as the Scots tried to increase pressure all over the field to prevent Gasperini’s men from their usual passing game. Despite this, in the 7th minute, a cross from Bellanova on the left found Zappacosta, who headed straight into Schmeichel’s arms from a few yards away. The hosts revved up their engines and came close to taking the lead in the 18th minute as Pasalic hit the crossbar. Zappacosta made a good play by beating Johnston on the left, crossed into the small box where the Croatian headed against Schmeichel, and then tried a chip on the rebound but sent it just over the crossbar. Atalanta missed a double opportunity to score: in the 24th minute, Lookman fed Zappacosta, who laid it off to Pasalic in the center area but Schmeichel made a crucial save; then, in the 26th minute, Retegui, well-played by Ederson, turned in the box and passed low to Zappacosta, whose shot from the penalty spot flew high.

Towards the end of the first half, after over 15 minutes of relentless attacking that pinned Celtic in their own penalty area, Atalanta found another clear chance with Retegui’s header from a corner delivered by Lookman, but Schmeichel once again denied them.

Second Half

In the 50th minute, Celtic had their first real chance of the match: Valle tried a shot from distance that changed trajectory due to Djimsiti’s deflection, but Carnesecchi saved with a fingertip to push it for a corner. After the guest’s brief spark, the hosts continued their pressure and had two potential goal-scoring opportunities: in the 56th minute, Hien came close with a header from a corner kick, and in the 58th minute, De Roon attempted a curling shot from outside the box which Schmeichel stretched to deny. De Ketelaere, who had just come on, made a great play in the 67th minute, turning sharply and unleashing a shot that Schmeichel saved. In a rather physical and confusing finale, the guests managed to pose a threat to Carnesecchi: in the 77th minute, Valle’s long ball for Furuhashi resulted in a shot just over the crossbar. Atalanta’s final assault came in the 93rd minute when Ruggeri delivered a delightful cross from a free-kick for Hien, who headed just over the crossbar.

Lineup

ATALANTA (3-4-1-2):
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (78′ Ruggeri); Bellanova (58′ Samardzic), De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic (78′ Zaniolo); Retegui (59′ De Ketelaere), Lookman (69′ Cuadrado).
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini

CELTIC (4-3-3):
Schmeichel; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Valle; Engels (75′ McCowan), McGregor, Hatate (68′ Bernardo); Kuhn (81′ Kuhn), Idah (68′ Furuhashi), Maeda (74′ Palma).
Coach: Brendan Rodgers

Roman