Celtic 0-3 Real Madrid: Match Review | OneFootball

With four wins in as many league games, Real Madrid’s season was off to the perfect start ahead of the Champions League opener.

Los Blancos were pitted against Celtic in their first game of the new competition, with the game scheduled to take place in Glasgow.

Postecoglou’s side were one of the most in-form sides in Europe ahead of the midweek game. They won their last match by a margin of four goals and scored a whopping 13 goals in their last two games. Moreover, they were unbeaten across all competitions for close to five months.

On the night, Ancelotti made two changes to the side that started against Real Betis. Federico Valverde replaced Rodrygo Goes on the right wing, while Toni Kroos came in for Eduardo Camavinga.

Celtic have been known for their attacking aptitude this season and did not hold back when given a chance against the Champions of Europe. In the very first minute, Giakoumakis worked the ball to Abada whose shot was painfully close to goal.

The pressure on Real Madrid’s goal intensified in the next 20 minutes with the hosts putting in a spectacular shift. Abada was once again at the centre of action in the 13th minute when he missed the chance to bury Jota’s cross.

One of the biggest chances in the first half came in minute 21. The move began with Giakoumakis finding McGregor at the edge of the area with a well-worked pass. The midfielder struck the ball firmly, but could only rattle the woodwork.

Problems for Real Madrid compounded at the half-hour mark when Karim Benzema was forced off the field through injury. The Frenchman could not continue after sustaining a blow on his knee and Eden Hazard took his place.

It was only in the latter part of the second half that Real Madrid took charge of the game. Eden Hazard had a chance in the 41st minute and Vinicius Jr failed to score a 1v1 just minutes later. As half-time neared, the momentum slowly but surely shifted.

Antonio Rudiger replaced Eder Militao for the second half. The new period began in a similar fashion for Real Madrid as they immediately fell under pressure, giving Maeda an opening to score. However, the forward’s shot was tame.

Los Blancos found some rhythm by the 50-minute mark and a goal was not too far away. As the clock struck 56, Vinicius Jr completed a lethal counter-attack to give Real Madrid the lead. The goal was only made possible because of Federico Valverde’s blistering run and a perfect pass at the feet of the Brazilian sensation who did not miss.

Less than five minutes later, their lead doubled. After receiving a loose ball in the box, the club legend cut back to create space for himself. With the goal at his mercy, he calmly fired it into the back of the net with the outside of his boot.

The final nail in the coffin for Celtic, it seems, was Eden Hazard’s goal in minute 77. Toni Kroos began the attack with a precise aerial pass to Daniel Carvajal. The full-back cushioned the ball and put it across the face of the goal for Hazard to tap in.

The 15 minutes that followed saw Celtic push for a consolation goal, but Los Blancos’ compact lines and organised defence handled the situation.

With this win, the men in white get their UCL campaign off to a perfect start despite not putting up their best performance. They next take on Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu at the weekend.