Celtic vs Real Madrid Match Preview
Celtic and Real Madrid have only previously faced in the 1979-80 European Cup quarter-final. The Spanish side won 3-2 on aggregate after losing the first leg 2-0 but winning the second 3-0.
Celtic have lost eight of their last 10 UEFA Champions League matches versus Spanish opposition (W2), including each of their last four in a row, all against Barcelona from 2013 to 2016.
This will be Real Madrid’s first European meeting with a Scottish club since the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup final, which they lost to Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen 2-1 after extra-time.
The defending champions of the UEFA Champions League have only been eliminated from their first group stage in one of the last 28 seasons, with Chelsea bowing out in 2012-13. Only one of the last 27 title-holders have lost their first match of the following season’s competition after winning the Champions League (W16 D10), with Liverpool losing 2-0 at Napoli in 2019-20.
Celtic have qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2017-18 under Brendan Rodgers. The Scottish side have been eliminated from the group stage in their last three participations at the tournament (2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18), last progressing in 2012-13.
Real Madrid are competing in their 27th UEFA Champions League edition, a joint-record along with Barcelona, including a 26th consecutive season, the longest ongoing run of any side. The Spanish side have progressed from all 30 of their group stages in the competition (including second group stages).
Celtic have never won their first match of a season in the UEFA Champions League in 10 previous attempts (D2 L8); only RSC Anderlecht have played in more editions of the tournament without ever winning their opener (12).
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is set to become the first ever Australian to manage in the UEFA Champions League. Overall, he is the fifth manager to take charge of Celtic in the tournament, after Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan, Neil Lennon and Brendan Rodgers.
This will be Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti’s 19th season as a UEFA Champions League manager; he has seen his sides progress from the opening group stage in 15 of his last 16 editions, failing only with Napoli in 2018-19 in this time. Ancelotti has faced Celtic six times previously in the competition, all as Milan manager from 2004 to 2007, losing just once (W3 D2).
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored 15 goals in last season’s UEFA Champions League; only Cristiano Ronaldo has ever scored more in a single edition of the tournament (17 in 2013-14, 16 in 2015-16). The Frenchman is tied with Robert Lewandowski on 86 goals overall in the competition, joint-third all-time behind Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (125).
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