CALLUM MCGREGOR’S wish became a reality last night, captaining the Celtic side against Real Madrid; it was the one team he wanted in the Champions League group stage draw.
The player was superb throughout the match and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet after he rattled the post in the first half. If Celtic had opened the scoring then, it could have been a totally different game. With Real Madrid being forced to open up to chase the game.
The defensive side of his game was great too. With some great ball-winning tackles that broke up the Madrid attacks.
Speaking after the game live on BT Sports, the Hoops skipper was honest in his assessment of the game but stated that he believed Celtic ‘belong’ in Europe’s top competition.
“It was really enjoyable. It’s ultimately disappointing to lose three goals at home, but I think there was enough in the game to show we definitely belong at this level.
“We took the game to Madrid for large parts. There was just a little 10 to 15-minute spell when we lost concentration, and you can see that’s why they are the holders. They have so much quality on the counterattack, and we knew that.”
After that first-half display, you can’t argue with that. Celtic still have a good chance of qualifying. If they play like they did for the first forty-five and in large spells of the second half, they should be able to see themselves into the next round of the competition.
