Though the score might have read 0-0 in the third round of the Champions League group stage match between Atalanta and Celtic, the game told a lot more. Played at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium in Bergamo, this was a fierce battle where Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, representing the Hoops, stole the spotlight and held off the powerful attack of Atalanta.
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The Danish Wall
From the first minutes, Atalanta were going to take control of the match rhythm. Raoul Bellanova's early header, though-easily grasped by Schmeichel-was a warning signal. A few minutes later, the post after Mario Pasalic struck the crossbar didn't go in, but without scoring, the pressure on Celtic continued.
But Schmeichel had other ideas. With each new surge from the Italians, he got in the way to frustrate them further, like some kind of giant guarding the net. When Zappacosta had a clear chance in the box, once again, here was the goalkeeper to prevent the worst.
Scottish Counterattack
Despite the earlier dominance of Atalanta, Celtic didn't back down-one bit-on the contrary, trying to hit back with a swift counter-attack in the ninth minute through Nicolas Kuhn, whose pace won a corner for the visitors. Though it didn't materialize into the net being ruffled, it gave a sneak peek into the way Celtic decided to plot: resist, but strike back when possible.
Arne Engels also had an attempt at goal in the 24th minute, but this time too, Atalanta's goalkeeper, Marco Carnesecchi, did well to clear the danger across. Meanwhile, Celtic's backline had to survive wave after wave of pressure, especially when Ademola Lookman and Retegui threatened towards the end of the first half. Again, Schmeichel showed why he was one of the standout players with calm, crucial saves.
Second Half of Resilience
While the first half was a balance between Atalanta's attempts to attack and Celtic's resilience in defense, the second half brought more drama. Just after the restart, Pasalic found Lookman, who almost steamed ahead, with the defending Atalanta well-covered at the back as Liam Scales made an important interception.
On the other end, Alex Valle tried his luck from distance and almost found the Italian goalkeeper at bay. Despite all the constant pressure, Celtic did look comfortable launching an attack whenever opportunities presented themselves. Atalanta continued with their possession game, pushing forward relentlessly.
Yet, no matter how much Atalanta threatened, there Schmeichel was. Marten de Roon's shot, following a McGregor mistake, was another clear chance that saw the Italians go begging courtesy of the Danish keeper, who managed once more to keep a certain goal out.
Impactful Substitutions
At the final stretch, Brendan Rodgers shook things up with Kyogo Furuhashi and Paulo Bernardo coming on to change the flow of the game. The subs nearly paid off as Bernardo quickly linked up with Maeda, who set up Kyogo. The Japanese forward turned and fired a shot on target, with Carnesecchi alert to make an important save.
Celtic remained dangerous in the final ten minutes, Valle's next aerial ball coming in, Kyogo not finishing as expected. By this stage, it was an end-to-end marathon for both sides.
Heroic Defence and a Valuable Point
Stoppage time in the match, and the pressure was piling on by Atalanta in pursuit of a late winner. But Celtic's defense, marshaled by Schmeichel, Scales, and Auston Trusty, would not be broken. The final chance fell to Hien, whose header sailed over the crossbar, but already the outcome was clear: Celtic had their hard-fought 0-0 draw that felt like a win.