Real Madrid will take on Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday at Celtic Park in Glasgow. Los Blancos have got off to a flying start in La Liga, winning all their first four matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding just four times. They head into this fixture at the back of a 2-1 win over Real Betis with their two Brazilian prodigies in Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo getting on the scoresheet.
Celtic are also in a rich vein of form and have maintained their perfect start in the Scottish Premiership winning their first six matches. They will be brimming with confidence when they take on the defending champions of the competition at their own backyard after defeating Rangers 4-0 in the Old Firm derby.
How To Watch
Match: Celtic vs Real Madrid
Date & Time: September 6 @ 8:00 PM (BST) / 3:00 PM (ET)
Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
TV Channel: BT Sport 3, CBS Sports, Sony Sports Network
Online Streaming: Paramount+, BT Sport App & Sony Liv (Try for free)
Watch in Canada: DAZN Canada
Team News
Celtic: Celtic have a couple of injury concerns ahead of their tie with Real Madrid. Forward Kyogo Furuhashi had to be taken off due to a shoulder injury against Rangers, whereas centre back Carl Starfelt suffered a knock in his knee in the same match.
They remain doubtful for this tie and might be replaced by Moritz Jenz and Georgios Giakoumakis respectively. Meanwhile, midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi is out with a leg injury.
Real Madrid: Real Madrid have no injury concerns as far as their starting XI contenders are concerned. Nacho Fernandez has also recovered from a muscle strain and has been included in the squad.
Carlo Ancelotti will look to rotate against Celtic with Luka Modric likely to be rested. Toni Kroos might be given the nod to start along with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield.
It will be difficult to drop Rodrygo after the winger scored at the weekend, so Fede Valverde might once again be relegated to the bench. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. should slot in as centre forward and left-winger respectively to complete the front-three.
Antonio Rudiger has found it difficult to force his way in the starting XI as Eder Militao and David Alaba continue to hold their place at the heart of defence, and the Italian manager could once again stick to the same combination.
Head to Head
In the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid and Celtic have only met each other twice. Real Madrid won one and Celtic won one.
Prediction: Celtic rightly so fancy their chances against any team at home, even the Champions League holders.
However, the gulf in talent is clear to see, even for the most ardent of Celtic fans, so even a point could be considered an achievement for the hosts. I don’t think they will even get that, unfortunately.
Score Prediction: Celtic 1 - 3 Real Madrid