Ange Postecoglou, Celtic’s coach, bemoaned the early opportunities Celtic missed as they suffered a 3-0 loss against Real Madrid in front of a sold-out crowd. This was their first return to the Champions League since the 2018 season.
As the hosts excelled in the first half, captain Callum McGregor watched his attempt crash off the post. Meanwhile, Liel Ababa and Reo Hatate were stopped by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The European champions displayed their talent as Postecoglou’s team tired down in the second half. Madrid scored two goals in a row courtesy of Vinicius Jr. and Luka Modric to put them ahead 2-0.
Eden Hazard added a third goal to seal the win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side and condemn Celtic to a loss in their first Champions League group encounter in five years.
Madrid who lost Karim Benzema to injury in the first half, join Shakhtar Donetsk at the top of Group F.
🏁 FT: @CelticFC 0-3 @realmadriden
⚽ @vinijr 56′, @lukamodric10 60′, @hazardeden10 76′#UCL pic.twitter.com/DKaHxH0dCO— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 6, 2022
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What Did Celtic Coach Say About The Loss To Madrid?
The missed opportunities frustrated Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou. He said:
“Obviously disappointed with the outcome. I thought the first goal was always going to be important and up until that point we were well in the game. If anything, we had the better chances and you need to capitalise on them and we didn’t.
“Once the first goal went in they’ve got that quality to take control of the game. They pressed on and were able to exploit the spaces we left.
“Up until the 60th-minute mark when they scored we were well in the game, but you learn at this level that if you don’t take your chances you’ll be punished.”
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