Last night in Madrid, Celtic saw the risks in letting the opposition run the show.

A lot has been made since our match in Dortmund about how Celtic should approach tonight’s game in Bergamo. Last night, something happened in Dortmund’s latest match that sheds light on the debate. For those like myself calling for a more cautious approach, it was a clear example of what can happen to teams in this competition, especially those playing away from home, who rely on that kind of strategy.

Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t adopt a more measured approach against Atalanta. It’s just an acknowledgment that this strategy carries its own risks, just like being too aggressive does. And the stronger the opponent, the higher those risks become.

It’s a tricky balance.

Last night, in the first half, Dortmund took the game to Madrid, much like we tried to do against them. Dortmund has better players to execute that plan, and they went in at half-time two-nil up. I’m not saying that maintaining their aggressive, front-foot approach would have guaranteed them a result, but I doubt they’d have lost five goals in the second half.

Dortmund, understandably, decided early in the second half to defend their two-goal lead. They made a number of defensive substitutions.

Within minutes, they conceded a goal. Moments later, they conceded another, and from that point, it was just a matter of waiting for Madrid to score again – which they did, repeatedly. A lot of credit has to go to Vinícius Júnior, who was sensational and tore Dortmund apart.

The simple fact is, their decision to sit back and allow Madrid to dictate the play was disastrous. Madrid is far too good to give that much space and control. That’s the question we never got to answer in Dortmund – would a more defensive approach have made a difference for us? It seems clear, though, that sitting back and giving technically gifted teams like Madrid control can lead to a heavy defeat regardless.

Am I convinced that playing defensively against Atalanta tonight will result in a better outcome than a defeat? Honestly, no. If we give them enough of the ball, they’ll hurt us, just as Madrid hurt Dortmund last night, time and time again.

Tonight will require every Celtic player to be at their absolute best.

We’ll need 100% effort and to avoid major mistakes. Even then, I’m concerned we’ll get caught too far up the pitch, no matter which system we play. It’s in Celtic’s DNA to play attacking football, and Brendan Rodgers emphasises this style. We’re up against last season’s Europa League winners, a team that’s very good technically. Some say they’re defensively vulnerable, but they’re equally dangerous at the other end of the pitch.

This is the quandary – and it’s one top managers face when coming up against quality opposition. Either approach can result in a bad night.

My biggest concern with trying a more cautious approach tonight is that this team wasn’t built for it. We don’t have the defensive midfielders to play that way with confidence, and this side has been drilled to play attacking football.

Even if we had the right players, it’s not in our nature to sit back.

People often wonder why the club across the city has managed slightly better European results. I emphasise “slightly,” because that’s all it is.

The best of their results came under van Bronckhorst, who regularly played two defensive midfielders, not just in Europe but every week. In fact, it was that predictable style of play that allowed other teams to figure them out domestically.

Football is all about trade-offs.

Focusing on one tactical style means you lose out on another. Building a team full of exciting attacking players often means you sacrifice defensive robustness.

This Celtic side has been built to dominate Scotland, and that’s no easy feat, contrary to what some of the less informed hacks claim. Shifting to a more defensive style domestically would be less entertaining and riskier over a season, but it might get us an unexpected European result now and again. Is that a trade-off anyone really wants?

Tonight is going to be tough.

Last night’s Dortmund game highlighted just how dangerous it can be to sit back against a team capable of taking you apart. Dortmund lost because they switched from an aggressive, high-pressing style to a more defensive one, and you can see why Rodgers is hesitant to do the same. He genuinely believes that a team playing on the front foot has a better chance of getting something than one that sits back and lets the opposition dictate.

And I’m torn, because deep down, I know this is true. Last night was a brutal reminder of it. Watching Dortmund switch to damage limitation the moment Madrid equalised was painful. Against top-class sides, there is no limiting the damage when they’re on top of their game.

So, Rodgers is in a difficult spot. We’re up against a very good side tonight, and with the squad we have, it might not matter what we do. I don’t want to see Celtic setting up for damage limitation. I want us to at least try and get a result.

I’m hoping for something more compact, with the gap between our defence and midfield not as large as it’s been in recent weeks. That gap gives our opponents far too much room to exploit, exposing a certain naivety in our players and, yes, in the manager. But for those advocating sitting back, soaking up pressure, and counter-attacking – that could be just as dangerous. The results could be just as painful, especially away from home.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Champions League in recent years, it’s that home advantage is massive. The top teams will punish you on their turf in front of their fans.

I’m not exactly looking forward to tonight. I think it’ll be a game to endure rather than enjoy. But I’ll keep in mind that the home games are the ones that matter most in this group, and we’ve got a good chance of picking up points there to secure qualification.

Most Celtic fans just don’t want to be embarrassed. We can handle being beaten by a better side; we just don’t want to be humiliated. If we play too defensively, we might get thrashed. If we’re too aggressive, the same might happen.

Brendan Rodgers needs to find that middle ground – the balance we couldn’t find in Dortmund, and which Dortmund couldn’t find last night against Madrid.