After five years out of the ring, Celtic had forgotten how wild, how brutal this Champions League business could be.
Ahead of their first game at this level since the home defeat to Anderlecht in December 2017, the Scottish champions dared to believe. The first Australian manager to reach this level, Ange Postecoglou urged his team to play fearlessly and come out swinging. For almost an hour, they took him at his word.
Against the undisputed heavyweight champions of Europe, risk and reward is always a dangerous strategy. Throwing punch after punch, the Parkhead side hit the woodwork and tested Thibaut Courtois, but failed to land a knockout blow.
Real Madrid players celebrate during the second half as they raced to an early 3-0 win at Celtic.
Celtic struggled in the second half, conceding three goals as keeper Joe Hart flicked the ball after a tackle.
It’s tempting to wonder how a noisy Parkhead would have weathered the emotional run from the opening goal. A futile exercise, two devastating punches inside four minutes from Vinicius Junior and the perennial Luka Modric put Celtic on the canvas and their resilience wore thin. A third goal from Eden Hazard with 13 minutes to play seemed like an unnecessary display of firepower; a stark reminder of the gulf between Europe’s elite and minor league teams making the best of what they have.
Celtic can take comfort in their performance, if not the result. For the European champions the first half was an unexpectedly awkward affair. Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema limped off the field minutes after Callum McGregor hit the right-hander from 18 yards. This was the third or fourth opening and the Scottish champions will look back on the night and a string of missed opportunities to ruffle the feathers of the 14-time winners. At this level not only is a ruthless streak desirable; it is essential.
There was earlier talk of the old fox Ancelotti resting some of his names. In a show of respect for the experience at Celtic Park, the most successful manager in Champions League history pretty much went with the starting XI that beat Liverpool in last season’s final. Only Casemiro, now a Manchester United player, was missing.
Eden Hazard enjoyed a productive hour on the pitch after coming off the bench to score Real Madrid’s third goal.
The former Chelsea star scored one and provided an assist to remind supporters of his world-class ability at Parkhead
GAME DATA AND SCORES
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart 7; Juranovic 6.5, Carter-Vickers 6, Jenz 6.5, Taylor 6; O’Riley 6.5 (Mooy 72 mins, 6), McGregor 7.5, Hatate 6.5 (Turnbull 72, 6); Abada 6 (Maeda 46, 6), Giakoumakis 6.5 (Kyogo 72, 6), Jota 6 (Haksabanovic 82).
Reserved: Maeda.
Manager: Ange Postecoglou 6.5.
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois 7; Carvajal 7, Militao 6 (Rudiger 46, 6), Alaba 7, Mendy 7; Modric 8 (Asensio 80), Tchouameni 7.5 (Camavinga 71, 6), Kroos 8; Valverde 7.5, Benzema 6 (Hazard 30, 7), Vinicius 7.5 (Rodrygo 80).
Scorers: Vinicius 56, Modric 60, Hazard 77.
Booked: Mendy.
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti 7.5.
Referee: Sandro Scharer (Switzerland) 6.
Of necessity, Celtic were forced to make a change or two to the side that hammered rivals Rangers in a 4-0 weekend defeat. Losing a top scorer is never a good thing, but the Scots didn’t start this game like a team dealing with an acute case of self-pity over the absence of Kyogo Furuhashi. Sadly, when the Japanese talisman finally arrived, the game was gone.
Two of Real Madrid’s 14 titles came to the city of Glasgow. Their last visit to Parkhead, a 2-0 defeat in March 1980, they knew they were in for a night after just 27 seconds.
With five goals in his last two games, Celtic’s Israeli winger Liel Abada has proven to be a lethal finisher. And the Portuguese winger Jota put the ball in his stride in the first attack of the game, it was expected that the net would swell. It wasn’t like that.
He spurned an even better chance on 13 minutes. Once again, Jota’s speed and intelligence were the catalyst, Benfica’s summer signing playing a great pass into the path of Abada behind an absent backline. With only Courtois to beat the 20-year-old’s finish was tame. A glorious opportunity was gone.
After a tight first half, Vinicius Junior broke the deadlock for the Spanish side at the start of the second half with a low finish.
The star striker of Madrid celebrates the opening of the scoreboard together with his teammate and ex-Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger
Luka Modric doubled Madrid’s lead just under four minutes later with a superb shot with the outside of his boot
The veteran midfielder celebrates his goal with Madrid team-mate Federico Valverde as his side began to dominate the game
You’ve wondered how many Celtic can afford to let go. Not many as it turned out. A feature of their play in the SPFL is the fact that teams collapse in the first half and they had almost as many chances against Real Madrid as against Ross County.
Courtois took a corner to Japan midfielder Reo Hatate and felt the burn as the ball came to him from 20 yards.
Playing with a freedom and inventiveness that surprised and delighted his own supporters in the upright must still be reeling from McGregor’s 18-yard strike that came inches from the lead.
Dismantled by PSG in a five-goal thrashing at home under Brendan Rodgers, this was proving a more enjoyable experience for Celtic supporters. The only flaw? The absence of the goal they deserved.
Hazard proved effective in Real Madrid’s attack after replacing Karim Benzema – graphic courtesy of SofaScore
The night did not start well for Madrid with influential striker Benzema injured after just 30 minutes in Glasgow.
Benzema makes way for Hazard, with Madrid waiting to find out the severity of his injury in the coming days.
Callum McGregor came very close to opening the scoring for Celtic when he hit the post from the edge of the box to make it 0-0.
In the 25th minute, Austrian defender David Alaba passed the ball out of the field of play with no one near him. The sight of Benzema gingerly limping around, trying to sort out an injury, added another decibel to the relentless buzz.
Just seconds after Federico Valverde blew Real’s first real chance of the night past the left post, the scoreboard went up to signal the departure of the goalscoring talisman. In a show of respect, and no doubt relief, Celta supporters applauded the predatory striker from the pitch. Any encouragement they took from his departure was hard to sustain when Eden Hazard trotted over. It wouldn’t be too low.
The Belgian’s first consistent pass of the night was almost an assist for a goal. Celtic’s casual first half move created Real’s first real chance before the break. It came from a moment of quick thinking from Hazard, an instant reminder of the damage big teams can do. As Celtic called for offside, Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior, now a naturalized Spaniard, sprinted unmarked down the left flank with a clear run at goal.
There was always hope that Joe Hart, the former Celtic stand-in, would see some action. No one thought it would take 42 minutes to arrive. Parkhead held their breath as Vinicius Junior curled a shot towards goal, the former England number one producing a great save at a critical moment.
Celtic fought well in the first half and were arguably the better team in the early stages of the Champions League clash.
Celtic fans unveiled a ‘back with a bang’ motif after their return to the Champions League group stage
Celtic fans flocked to Parkhead hoping their side could shock the reigning European champions
At half-time you wonder if Celtic had fired their bolt. After a half that could have been much better, Abada left the pitch to be replaced by Daizen Maeda, another of Postecoglou’s wily Japanese imports. The substitute had the chance to make an instant impact when Juranovic’s cross fell to his feet unmarked in the box. Surprised by the chance, he couldn’t get enough of it and Courtois went down gratefully at another missed opportunity. A dangerous theme was developing and Celtic would soon rue their waste.
After 57 minutes, Parkhead, a seething mass of noise, finally fell silent. A Real Madrid goal of brilliant simplicity came from little price. Hazard appeared to control the ball on the halfway line with the top of his arm before slotting the ball into the path of Federico Valverde. A very low and well-weighted ball across the face of the goal marked Vinicius Junior who reached the back post and this time the winger passed the low ball into the corner of the net.
Scotland’s Euro 2020 final killer Luka Modric will be kicked out of Glasgow at this rate. Another clinical counterattack four minutes later saw the little Croatian master curl a sublime finish into the net with the outside of his foot beyond Hart’s outstretched hand for 2-0. Celtic knew, then, that they were done.
For the first time all night Real had fun. The third goal was cruel for Celtic, Dani Carvajal putting a cross into Hazard’s path for a simple finish from six yards.
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