Alistair Johnston speaks to Celtic TV ahead of Atalanta clash

Celtic F.C.

·22 ottobre 2024

Alistair Johnston speaks to Celtic TV ahead of Atalanta clash

Alistair Johnston believes that securing a win in Bergamo would be ‘massive’ for Celtic, as they look to claim a vital away victory in Northern Italy.

The Canadian internationalist spoke to Celtic TV following the squad’s arrival in Italy, where the Hoops are aiming for their first UEFA Champions League away win since Brendan Rodgers’ side triumphed in Belgium in 2017.

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He said: “It would be massive for us. We’re looking at this format, with eight matches, and we’ve got three points from two games so far. I know people back home have probably run the numbers on what kind of points are needed to get through the stage.

“This is one of those matches where we know it’s not going to be easy. We’re facing a top team with European experience, but we’re not coming here thinking this is a free hit. We’re looking to build on that last match, where things got away from us against Dortmund.

“So, what can we change to get back to the level we know we can play at, something more like our first Champions League game (against Slovan Bratislava). If we can get a result here, it can really kick-start our campaign and get us back on track.

‘With five games left after this one, we’ll still have a lot to play for. That’s the exciting part for us – it’s a great opportunity tomorrow night.’

Johnston also reflected on the quality of Atalanta, who shocked the footballing world last season by defeating Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin to lift the Europa League, snapping the German side’s unbeaten season through an Ademola Lookman hat-trick.

He said: “It’s another big match for us, just like the last one. This is a team that has had great success, winning the Europa League last year, which is really impressive. So, we know it’s going to be a really difficult test for us.

“We’re familiar with their style of play – a lot of man-to-man marking. We watched them closely last year, especially in the later stages of the Europa League and the final against Leverkusen. That really opened a lot of people’s eyes to what they’re capable of.

“They’ve built a special group, won a European trophy, and now they’re in the Champions League, trying to make another name for themselves. It won’t be an easy task, but we’re ready for it. It’s a great opportunity for us to go to a tough European ground and hopefully get a result.”

The Celtic full-back also reflected on Saturday’s thrilling top-of-the-table clash at Paradise, where Aberdeen fought back from 2-0 down to claim a point. Despite the disappointment of losing a two-goal lead, Johnston believes the Hoops will learn from the experience.

He said: “When we watched the match back and did our individual analysis, we saw the moments where they hurt us in transition and where we were just a little off.

“When you give good players time and space, you can get punished. But at the same time, there were moments where we were probably a little unlucky. Play that match over again, and maybe you find a way to get a winner at the end.

“That’s football. It was one of those matches that reminded us just because you’re 2-0 up at half-time and haven’t played your best football, it doesn’t mean the match is over, or that you’ll automatically find the next gear and blow them away.

“You need to keep doing the little things, the nitty-gritty parts of the game, consistently. Otherwise, teams with quality will punish you. That’s a big lesson for us, especially now at this level.”