Auston Trusty is beginning to find his rhythm in Celtic’s lineup.
The 26-year-old defender, who joined the Scottish champions in the summer, came with a strong reputation after stints at Arsenal and Sheffield United in the Premier League. Now, he has taken over Liam Scales’ starting position, despite the Irishman’s consistent performances.
This competitive environment is a hallmark of Celtic’s depth under Brendan Rodgers, a strength that has been evident in their Champions League campaign. The team has secured nine points and achieved consecutive clean sheets away from home, including a goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday. While fans had mixed reactions to the result, Trusty shared their sentiment.
Trusty Frustrated with Missed Opportunity in Zagreb
Trusty, who played the full match in Croatia, reflected on the team’s performance. Defensively solid, Celtic dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances. Speaking to Peter Schmeichel on CBS Sports, Trusty expressed frustration over the missed opportunity for three points while acknowledging the challenge of playing in Europe.
Schmeichel asked, “Another clean sheet away from home in the Champions League. Another point won, you are on nine points now. How do you assess the Dinamo Zagreb performance?”
Trusty replied, “To get a point away from home in the Champions League, you can’t take that for granted. We’ll go back, look at this game, and be a little bit angry that we didn’t come here and get three points. I think we should have. I think we needed to create a little bit more chances. We have to learn from it.”
Bouncing Back After Borussia Dortmund Defeat
Celtic’s character has been on full display since their humiliating 7-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund earlier in the group stage. The result raised concerns about recurring defensive frailties, but the team has since responded with resilience, keeping back-to-back clean sheets on the road.
Schmeichel questioned Trusty about the stark contrast between the Dortmund loss and recent performances: “Your first away game was in Dortmund, conceded seven goals, and since then you’ve kept two clean sheets. What has been the difference?”
Trusty explained, “That was just an off-game for us. It was one of those days where you forget about it and move on. It shows the true characteristics of the team, to have that low in the Champions League and then bounce back. Not a lot of teams can do that, so it shows the strength of this group. We’ve been able to move on and get better results.”
With Trusty settling into his role and the team showing resilience, Celtic fans can remain optimistic as the Champions League Campaign progresses.
