Celtic vs Real Madrid LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
The Champions League holders begin their defence with a trip to Scotland as Carlo Ancelotti and Ange Postecoglou meet for the first time
At once a genuinely unique occasion, and also a relatively routine win for Real Madrid. Celtic Park joyously showcased the deafening decibel levels a Champions League night should reach, but the European champions reminded them of the level required to actually compete.
Those last few words are why there is absolutely no shame to this 3-0 defeat for Celtic, who should instead be proud of the manner of their performance.
This is just the modern Champions League. Ange Postecoglou has also ensured it’s a very modern Celtic.
They put it up to Madrid more than Chelsea did at home last season, or even Paris Saint-Germain in the second half at the Bernabeu. There were long periods - and some tantalisingly thrilling moments - where it seemed like something even more special could be happening. Celtic had the chances. It’s just, since they didn’t take them, Madrid were always going to have the decisive quality.
It was a vintage European night in that way, too. If you don’t take your chances, the best sides will punish you.
Follow rection from Celtic vs Real Madrid live below:
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
Reminder of tonight’s teams as we approach kick-off. Might be a busy night for Celtic stopper Joe Hart.
Celtic XI: Hart, Juranovic, Jenz, Carter-Vickers, Taylor, McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate, Jota, Abada, Giakoumakis
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Alaba, Militao, Mendy, Tchouameni, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema, Vini Jr
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
As for Celtic, they have two major additions in terms of transfer fee: Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, both for around £6m. Alexandro Bernabei, Daizen Maeda and Sead Haksabanovic also arrived for reasonable fees, while free transfer arrivals included Benjamin Siegrist and Aaron Mooy. Christopher Jullien was the only player to leave for a fee this summer, so it is a year of considerable outlay for the Scots.
A couple of Champions League wins would go some way toward proving their business the right course of action to take.
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
The summer transfer work at the Santiago Bernabeu was not exactly non-stop, but it was significant.
Casemiro’s departure was a surprise and a notable exit, given how little that midfield has changed over the last half-decade, but Aurelien Tchouameni is more than capable of stepping up into the void - he’s the big arrival and cost around €80m.
On a free transfer also came in Antonio Rudiger, while the only other notable departures were Reinier (loan, Girona), Marcelo, Isco (both released), Gareth Bale (LAFC), Borja Mayoral (Getafe) and Take Kubo (Real Sociedad).
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
Players, managers and fans arriving. We’re a little over half an hour away from kick-off still, so not too much activity inside the stadium yet, but this is a game nobody wants to miss. Celtic Park will be absolutely rocking at kick-off.
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
Can Real Madrid go on and defend their title once more this season? There’s a long road ahead and of course the mid-season break for the World Cup could disrupt and dictate an awful lot yet in the second half of the campaign.
The group phase is just all about getting the job done inside the six matches and making sure you’re in the knockout draw.
Celtic vs Real Madrid latest
Season so far for these teams:
Celtic
It’s six wins from six in the Premiership for the league leaders after beating Aberdeen, Ross Co, Kilmarnock, Hearts, Dundee United and at the weekend, Rangers in the Old Firm derby. They’ve also beaten Ross County in the League Cup, too - and only two goals conceded across that run.
Real Madrid
Almeria, Celta Vigo, Espanyol and Real Betis have all been vanquished by LaLiga’s reigning champions, but they’ve also picked up silverware already. Real beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the Uefa Super Cup at the start of the season.
Champions League group stage latest
Tonight is the return of the Champions League “proper”, as they say - the group stage starts here.
The early fixtures so far stand at Dinamo 1-0 Chelsea - which you can follow live right here - and Dortmund are leading 2-0 at home to Copenhagen.
Our game, and the rest of tonight’s, starts at 8pm BST.
Champions League group stage excitement at an all-time low as financial disparity widens
The end of the Champions League group stage can’t come soon enough, because it is impossible not to feel that this season’s will be settled predictably quickly. That is down to much more than the World Cup dictating this penultimate edition of the format, to be changed in 2024, will conclude by the first week of November.
While there are always more surprise results than people expect, most of the super clubs have hugely forgiving paths to their traditional place in the last 16. All of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool and even Tottenham Hotspur should get through with ease.
Group C - featuring Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Internazionale and Robert Lewandowski’s return to the Allianz - is the only pool that could be described as an old-fashioned “group of death”. It is an old point in itself now to say the competition used to be full of such challenges, but that makes it all the more relevant. It looks like it has never been as bad. Little wonder that the main intrigue around the draw in Istanbul this week has been over the mid-tier clubs pushing to start remedying prize money.
That points to how none of this is the fault of the group stage as a format, but rather the financial disparity that Uefa and this very competition have fostered and overseen.
Even some of the better individual fixtures are attractive precisely because they are predicated on that economic gap, writes Miguel Delaney.
Champions League group stage excitement at all-time low as financial disparity widens
Even Erling Haaland’s return to Dortmund and other enticing individual fixtures are attractive precisely because they are predicated on that economic gap
What lies ahead for the six British clubs in this season’s Champions League?
The Champions League begins this week with six British sides involved in the action.
Celtic host holders Real Madrid in an eye-catching clash on Tuesday, when Manchester City and Chelsea also start their challenges. Liverpool and Rangers – together in the same group – play on Wednesday, as do Tottenham.
Here we look at the form of the sides facing the British teams - with Chelsea already having got their campaign underway in this evening’s early kick-off.
What lies ahead for the six British clubs in this season’s Champions League?
Celtic host holders Real Madrid in an eye-catching clash on Tuesday
Confirmed line-up for Celtic
And Celtic’s side is now in place too. Two changes from the weekend victory over Rangers for Ange Postecoglou.
CEL XI: Hart, Juranovic, Jenz, Carter-Vickers, Taylor, McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate, Jota, Abada, Giakoumakis
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies