Toni Kroos and Thibaut Courtois accepts that Real Madrid found life difficult away at Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic despite an eventual 3-0 win in their Champions League group-stage opener at Parkhead, speaking to Movistar Plus.
If you had no idea how things panned out on the green half of Glasgow on Tuesday night, you’d have been forgiven for assuming Real Madrid made light work of the Hoops, given the lopsided nature of the eventual scoreline.
But make no mistake; this was no repeat of the Brendan Rodgers era, when Celtic were pummelled into submission by PSG and Bayern Munich.
The home side not only went toe-to-toe with the European champions for the first 50 minutes; they actually landed a couple of jabs, leaving this uber-experienced Real Madrid side looking strangely punch-drunk.
Celtic impress against Real Madrid in the Champions League
“It’s a spectacular atmosphere,” Kroos sighed at full-time.
“We didn’t expect an easy game. We knew what a good team they are. They’ve beaten Rangers 4-0, which means they’re a good team. The first half was very difficult. The important thing was to stay calm and to take control of the game little by little. A very deserved victory.
“The first half was difficult. It is normal, it is their way of playing. When we got the rhythm of the game, we dominated.”
Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and the razor-sharp Reo Hatate arguably outplayed Kroos, Luka Modric and the £72 million Aurelien Tchouameni in the opening 45 minutes, running rings around their elite-level opponents. McGregor even clipped the post with a wonderful, edge-of-the-box strike when the score was still 0-0.
And, in truth, Joe Hart was little more than a spectator until Vinicius Jr – scorer of the winning goal against Liverpool in May’s final – broke Celtic’s resistance just before the hour.
“In the first half they started better,” adds Courtois, who made one reflex save following a stunning Hatate volley. “But, in the second, we were better.
“Great atmosphere. I played here 11 seasons ago with Atletico. They always like to play here. It’s very positive that they support their team and that they applaud us. It’s a nice thing.”
How many times over the years have we seen Real Madrid bounce back from the ropes and land a knockout blow? In many ways, the eventual 3-0 win was typical Los Blancos; an average performance lit up by little moments of star quality.
The masterful Luka Modric doubled their lead almost immediately after Vini’s opener, before substitute Eden Hazard put the icing on the cake late on, a tired Celtic team swept aside by a late Real tide.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
