Atalanta gobsmacked by Celtic 'accident' as star man goes above and beyond to talk up Rodgers and Co

Atalanta star Ederson reckons Celtic ’s 7-1 defeat in Dortmund was a FREAK result and has vowed not to take them lightly in the Champions League.

The Brazilian midfielder is refusing to accept that Brendan Rodgers’ side will be a soft tough in Italy tomorrow night. The Europa League holders are in good form in Serie A and want to make their mark in the Champions League. They’ve held Arsenal to a draw in Bergamo and beaten Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 away from home. Celtic were battered by Borussia Dortmund on their travels last time out but Ederson believes the heavy loss was a one-off.

He said: “This is not an easy match for us. Celtic’s last defeat in the Champions League was like an accident. They are a good team and I’m convinced they’ll show a reaction in Italy. People who believe the Scots will be comfortable to play against are mistaken. I couldn’t believe an experienced goalkeeper like Kasper Schmeichel conceded seven goals.

''Obviously, there was a difference between the teams. But it was an excessive defeat for Celtic. We’ve watched them and they are a team who can cause their opponents many problems in attack. With the new format of the Champions League, we must try to win at home. These points could be decisive for us in the table. We are favourites but we have to be motivated.”