Ex-Celtic & Atalanta star tells Hoops how to win European clash as £6m Rangers ace shines in comeback outing

Scottish champions Celtic travel to Europa League holders Atalanta with a point to prove after a demoralising defeat to Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park in their most recent Champions League outing.

The Hoops started the competition with a free-flowing attacking display to demolish Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at Parkhead but came unstuck in Germany in a devastating 7-1 defeat when they took on last season’s Champions League finalists in their own backyard.

Atalanta are another hugely challenging test for Brendan Rodgers’ men. They have been amongst the top performing teams in Italy since Gian Piero Gasperini’s arrival as manager in 2016 and have regularly competed in European football in the last seven years whilst thrice reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Black and Blues enter the game full of confidence after a 5-1 win over Genoa and a 2-0 victory over Venezia but former Celtic star Massimo Donati, who played for Atalanta and also under Gasperini at Palmero in 2012, says the Hoops should enter the game with ‘no fear’ at the Stadio di Bergamo and insists that that mentality will be the most important factor in their path to victory.

Donati, who now manages Athens Kallithea, told STV Sport: “Atalanta play 1 v 1, they don’t care if it is 4-4-2 or 4-3-2-1, they just go man to man and they try to press a lot, so for the opponents, Celtic in this case, it is never easy.

“I played under Gasperini at Palermo and he plays great football, we played some great football under him and when I was on the pitch I knew what I had to do with the ball or without the ball.

“But, I think you should never lose your identity, if Brendan Rodgers thinks he feels good playing a certain way with the team and the mentality then he has to do it.

“The most important thing is to have no fear, to go there and be scared of playing against Atalanta would be a mistake.

“Atalanta is not invincible, they have already lost a couple of games in the league this season as well.”

Donati, who lifted the Scottish league title with Celtic in 2007/08, also started his career at Atalanta and played 78 league games for the Belgamo based outfit across two spells.

Commenting on who he wants to win, he sat on the fence and said: “I would love a draw, both Celtic and Atalanta are very important to me, so I would be happy with a draw.”

Rangers striker edges closer to return

Rangers striker Danilo gave fans a reminder of his talents by scoring for the B team in a comeback game against Stenhousemuir in the SPFL Trust Trophy.

The Brazilian played 60 minutes of the contest and scored one of the goals in a 4-1 victory as the Light Blues advanced to the quarter-final. 

The injury-hit striker was also joined on the scoresheet by Romanian midfielder Ianis Hagi, who has now returned to the first team picture under Philippe Clement after seemingly being destined for a move away over the summer.

The pair will both hope to be involved in some capacity in the near future when Rangers host St Mirren before travelling to Aberdeen.