Atalanta suffer surprising result as Celtic gain hope ahead of Champions League affair

Celtic will be excited to make inroads over their next few Champions League fixtures after a comprehensive victory in their opener against Slovan Bratislava.

One week ago, the Bhoys dished out a 5-1 thrashing to Vladimir Weiss and his side at Celtic Park, claiming a valuable league phase win that has put them second in the current standings.

Borussia Dortmund are up next for the Bhoys in a bucket-list clash at Signal Iduna Park, where two of the world’s best fanbases come together to put on a spectacle that will garner global attention.

The exciting away ties don’t stop there, with a trip to face Atalanta at Gewiss Stadium offering Celtic the chance to take on last season’s Europa League winners.

Despite their notoriety as an excellent side on the eye, Gian Gasperini’s side aren’t having it all their way this term, as evidenced by their latest result.

Atalanta suffer surprising loss at home to Como
Last night, Atalanta took part in their rearranged Serie A fixture against Como, which was initially abandoned due to torrential rain across the Bergamo region.

In a surprise outcome, Cesc Fabregas masterminded an extraordinary victory away from home as Gabriel Strefezza, Alieu Fadera and an own goal from Sead Kolasinac was enough to guarantee victory.

Not even consolation goals from Kolasinac and Ademola Lookman were enough to salvage a result, leaving Gasperini’s men 12th in the Serie A table.

Atalanta have won two and lost three of their opening league fixtures, representing a mixed start to the campaign after their brilliance last term.

Celtic gain shot in the arm ahead of travelling to Atalanta
Make no mistake, Atalanta are a fantastic side and will be a tough test for Celtic; they were held to a draw by Arsenal last week, for example.

However, the nature of their surprising defeat has to give the Bhoys hope of going out to Italy and competing. Competitions are about dreaming big, after all.

For now, Brendan Rodgers and company will only be thinking about St Johnstone, Borussia Dortmund, and Ross County before the international break.

Once they return, full focus will be given to the task of pulling off a shock against Atalanta after Aberdeen visit Glasgow on October 19th.