Brendan Rodgers masterclass, Auston trusted, three things we learned in Celtic’s draw vs Atalanta

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Celtic will, quite rightly, earn a lot of plaudits after Brendan Rodgers and his team managed to earn a superb draw against Atalanta.

The Irishman was under a bit of pressure heading into matchday three after Celtic’s last away performance saw Borussia Dortmund wipe away the euphoria of the 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava.

But after a superb display of defensive and counter-attacking football, Rodgers earned his first away point in Atalanta as Celtic answered their critics in emphatic style with an excellent draw against the current Europa League holders.

So with that in mind, here are three things we learned as Celtic held out for a draw against Atalanta.

Brendan Rodgers deserves Champions League praise for Celtic

All the hype surrounding Celtic’s trip to Atlanta was about Brendan Rodgers and his ability to make his team more defensive and hard to beat against Europe’s best clubs.

The media clamour for the Celtic boss to play more defensively and sit in was batted back superbly as Rodgers made little tweaks to his system without abandoning his attacking style.

Whilst Celtic were on the back foot for much of the game, which was to be expected, Rodgers still had his team looking to attack whenever they had possession of the ball.

With just under 34% possession, Celtic still managed to push into the Italian’s final third and mustered four corners and four shots on goal which forced two saves from Atalanta’s keeper.

Auston Trusty now showing signs of a £6m Celtic defender

Many Celtic fans were hoping that Cameron Carter-Vickers would have been passed fit for the game against the Italians.

However, it wasn’t to be and Auston Trusty kept his place in the Celtic defence as he partnered up with Liam Scales once more. And the US international didn’t disappoint.

Trusty was lauded by Celtic hero Chris Sutton for his defensive display and was one of Celtic’s best players against Atalanta as he did a sterling job helping to keep the Serie A side’s strikers at bay.

Showing strength in the tackle and calmness under pressure, Trusty wowed the Celtic fans in Atalanta and has blown away any doubts surrounding his ability to become an important player for Brendan Rodgers after his 90-minute showing in Bergamo.

Celtic can compete with Europe’s best

Celtic have been criticised for their Champions League and Rodgers, in particular, has been at the forefront of it.

The Celtic boss hit back at media criticism lately as many doubted that he and his team had it in them to pull off a result like this, especially in an away tie.

Now that the Celtic boss has proved those critics wrong, facing the likes of RB Leipzig at Celtic Park won’t seem as daunting to the fans after watching their team keep the current Europa League holders at bay in their own backyard.