The champion begins the defense of the crown at Celtic Park

The champion begins the European defense at Celtic Park

Real Madrid are looking for their first win in Group F against Celtic, also at a good time

MADRID, 5 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid begins this Tuesday at Celtic Park (9:00 p.m./Movistar Champions League) defending its Champions League champion crown, on the first day of the group stage in which it welcomes a Celtic that returns to the top continental competition after five years without stepping on it.

The epic nights at the Bernabéu last season once again demonstrated that nothing is impossible for the white club, subscribed to historic comebacks against the great teams of the continent and that on May 28 raised their fourteenth 'Orejona' to the sky of Paris. Now, as a result of his excessive ambition, he opens the way for the 'Fifteenth'.

To this end, Carlo Ancelotti has barely played a few pieces and has replaced the march of historical figures such as Marcelo, Casemiro, Gareth Bale or Isco Alarcón with the physique of men such as Antonio Rüdiger and especially Aurélien Tchouaméni; that he has been surprised by his ease in assuming the role of Casemiro.

With Thibaut Courtois as insurance under the sticks, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the creation tasks and the effectiveness of Vinicius, author of the goal of the 'Decimocuarta', and Karim Benzema, top scorer of the last edition with 15 goals, the white box assumes the favoritism of a Group F in which, in addition to Celtic, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk await him.

The Italian coach seems to be betting on his gala eleven with the only doubt as to whether he will take over from the Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, who signed the final 2-1 against Real Betis, to return the Uruguayan Fede Valverde to the starting lineup and return the eleven to German Toni Kroos, substitute last Saturday against Betis. Rüdiger, due to his powerful physique and aerial game, could be a novelty in defense.

For now, Chamartín's men have won all the points at stake at the start of LaLiga Santander, four wins -against Betis, Espanyol (1-3), Celta (1-4) and Almería (1-2)- that They remain the sole leader of the competition. His only blur: he has fit in every one of his commitments so far.

Opposite, Glasgow Celtic return to the 'Champions' five years later, after playing it for the last time in the 2017-18 season, when they did not go beyond the group stage after winning a single game, against Anderlecht in Brussels (0-3 ).

Accustomed to his dominance in the Scottish league, where he has won five of the last six championships -a streak only interrupted in 2021 by Rangers-, in Europe he shows his seams, although this year he has been fortunate to avoid the previous rounds for exclusion from Russian football.

Now, he goes to the match against the champion endorsed by his six wins in as many games in the domestic competition -with 29 goals in favor and only one against-, the last of them against his eternal rival, Rangers (4-0 ), last weekend. Their victory also in the League Cup leaves the Catholics with a perfect balance at the start of the season.

Without big stars and with Swedish defender Carl Starfelt missing and Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi in doubt, Ange Postecoglou's men entrust Portuguese Jota and Israeli Liel Abada in attack, while behind they will rely on veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart, all in a duel in which they will have the encouragement of Celtic Park, territory yet to be conquered for Real Madrid.

Only on one occasion did the Madrid team visit the Scottish stadium to face Celtic, in the distant 1980, and took a 2-0 against for the Spanish capital that managed to neutralize the heat of the Bernabéu (3-0), in one of those nights that have forged the legend of the king of Europe.

CELTIC: Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz, Taylor; O'Riley, McGregor, Hate; Abbey, Furuhashi and Jota.

REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Alaba; Kroos, Tchouaméni, Modric; Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius.

--REFEREE: Sandro Schärer (SUI).

--ESTADIO: Celtic Park.

--TIME: 21.00/Movistar Champions League.