Celtic take on Real Madrid in the Champions League tonight and face a pretty daunting task against Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
The celebrations from Saturday’s thrashing of Rangers are probably still continuing somewhere in Glasgow, but the attention must now turn to the Champions League.
Celtic haven’t been in the Champions League group stage since the 2017-18 season but are now back in Europe’s elite competition.
Ange Postecoglou has masterfully guided his side into the Champions League and and enormous challenge awaits this evening.
Real Madrid – last season’s Champions League winners – head to Parkhead this evening with something of cauldron surely awaiting them.
Postecoglou has some tough decision to make and here is our predicted lineup for the Bhoys tonight…
Predicted lineup as Celtic take on Real Madrid tonight
Joe Hart is Celtic’s undoubted first-choice goalkeeper and whilst Benjamin Siegrist offers another option, the Englishman is unlikely to lose his spot.
Cameron Carter-Vickers will start as one centre back but his usual partner is missing with Carl Starfelt out through injury.
That means Moritz Jenz is likely to start, coming in to partner Carter-Vickers.
Greg Taylor and Josip Juranovic were the full backs against Rangers on Saturday and should start again tonight.
There may be a temptation to freshen up the midfield but the trio of Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate just continue to shine and may now be geared up to face Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
The big decisions come in attack.
Kyogo Furuhashi went off early against Rangers but was in training on Monday so should be available from the start.
We’ll back Kyogo to start but the option of Giorgos Giakoumakis as a battering ram against the Real defence should appeal.
Jota will start from the left and whilst Liel Abada scored twice against Rangers on Saturday, putting Daizen Maeda in on the right flank for his pace and defensive work rate could be important against Real Madrid.
It sounds truly insane to be benching Abada but it’s a horses for courses game and Maeda offers so much off the ball that his inclusion wouldn’t be a shock.
That would leave the likes of Siegrist, Anthony Ralston, Aaron Mooy, David Turnbull, Sead Haksabanovic, James Forest and Giakoumakis on the bench, with new signing Oliver Abildgaard potentially involved too.
Predicted Celtic lineup tonight: Hart; Juranovic, Jenz, Carter-Vickers, Taylor; McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate; Maeda, Kyogo, Jota.
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