“Celtic is a team that I like. They are very good when attacking,” Gian Piero Gasperini | OneFootball

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini believes Celtic showed encouraging signs in their weekend clash with Hearts despite the change in formation under new boss Wilfried Nancy…

The French coach opted for a 3-4-2-1 shape in his first outing as Hoops boss, a match that ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat for the Scottish champions.

Looking ahead to Roma’s Europa League meeting with Celtic this evening, Gasperini – who came up against Brendan Rodgers’ side last season in the Champions League while in charge of Atalanta – offered his assessment of Nancy’s tactical tweak.

Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on reacts during a AS Roma Training Session at Celtic Park on December 10, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“I think considering it was the first time, they were undoubtedly good,” he said via Daily Record. “They managed to implement this game very well. They conceded two goals, but it was because of small details.”

“What makes the difference is details. It’s not the system that you choose. Three at the back is getting more and more popular with European teams. In the past it was Atalanta who were one of the few teams who were using the system. I don’t know how Celtic will play, what system they’ll use if it’ll be a different one or the same.”

“Celtic is a team that I like. They are very good when attacking, very open. Sometimes the result is not good like Sunday but I would say they made a good impression on me.”

Celtic defeated Feyenoord in the Europa League two weeks ago in De Kuip which put the Hoops back in contention of qualifying for the competition’s top 24 places.

Meanwhile, tonight’s visitors are on nine points from five matches and a victory in Glasgow would see them edge closer of guaranteeing a place in the last 16.

Roma celebrations at Ibrox. theRangers v Roma. Europa League, 6 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Roma beat theRangers last month at Ibrox 2-0 but face a tougher test coming up against Celtic. It should be a cracking game at a sold-out Paradise.

Conor Spence

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