After a disappointing night against Borussia Dortmund at the start of October, Brendan Rodgers’ side bounced back with an excellent performance against Atalanta in Italy on Wednesday evening. With the match finishing 0-0, the Celts’ brave and tireless defensive performance secured a valuable point away from home in the Champions League, much to the delight of Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers. Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s match away to Motherwell, the Celts’ gaffer praised his team for their focused and resilient performance. “The team, defensively, was outstanding the other night,” he said. “We’re a team who like to take the game by the scruff of the neck and impose our way of working on the game. “But you know that when you come up against superior teams, especially away from home, you’re going to be in difficult situations. “You won’t have the run of the game and in that, you need a high level of concentration. That was probably the thing that pleased me most, that concentration against a top team. ‘We showed that we can defend really well and be compact and tight, all of the things that we spoke about before.’ “It’s also great for the supporters, because they need to know that their team can have a bit of dig, a bit of grit and determination. “I think we saw that the other night against a top team. “To produce that performance really shows the togetherness of the team and the mentality of the squad.”Next up for the Bhoys is a trip to North Lanarkshire for a Scottish Premiership clash with Motherwell on Sunday afternoon. The Steelmen proved to be tough opponents last season, with the Celts winning both matches at Fir Park courtesy of late goals. Despite the prospect of a stern test on Sunday, Brendan said that he is looking forward to the trip to Motherwell. He said: “Fir Park has always been a tough place to go. I always really enjoy going there. It’s always a great atmosphere and we bring a good support behind the goal. “They’re always tough games, Stuart has his team set up well and we’re expecting a team that are well organised. “For us, we know what we need after a Champions League game. It’s big energy, big attitude and to continue with our great start to the season.” It was announced on Friday morning that Celtic great, Tommy Callaghan had sadly passed away at the age of 79. The former Celtic midfielder, who played for the Hoops between 1968 and 1976, won six league titles, five Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups during his time in Glasgow’s East End. Paying tribute to Tommy, Brendan said: “All of our thoughts and condolences are with Tommy and the family. “Any player that is signed twice by Jock Stein, that tells you how good a player he was. “It’s very sad. I had bumped in to Tommy only a few weeks back. It’s a sad day. “He’s a real legend of the club and all of our thoughts are with his family.”THE MANAGER’S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE Squad update Atalanta performance Prospect of facing Motherwell Scottish teams in Europe Team recovery Auston Trusty Arne Engels Tribute to Tommy Callaghan More on the match Nicolas Kühn: Our focus is on Motherwell after our good European performance –
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