In their usual manner, Celtic have made a solid start to the Scottish Premiership this season, while Atletico Madrid look rejuvenated under Diego Simeone this campaign.
Atletico Madrid has kept doing their business silently, and they have been tidy with it thus far. The Rojiblancos claimed two wins from their opening three La Liga games. The season opener against Granada ended in a 3-1 win for Atletico Madrid. Alvaro Morata, Memphis Depay, and Marcos Llorente got on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, the trip to Real Betis for the season’s second game finished goalless.
The Madrid side then put seven past Rayo Vallecano in one of their biggest wins just before the international break. Antoine Griezmann, Correa, Depay, and Molina scored in the one-sided contest. Unexpectedly, they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Valencia before a late goal from Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel denied Simeone’s men a win in their UEFA Champions League group opener at Stadio Olimpico.
Upon their return to La Liga action, Atletico dealt with Real Madrid in dominant fashion to claim a 3-1 win at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Griezmann and Morata (brace) did the damage to help the Rojiblancos regain their mojo. Another victory in Pamplona against Osasuna kept them closer to the top four. An exquisite goal from Griezmann and Riquelme secured all three points. Madrid came from two goals down at home to beat Cadiz and extend their winning run to three consecutive games. Simeone’s men then rallied back to Feyenoord in the UCL for their first win of the season before edging Real Sociedad 2-1 in La Liga to stay within touching distance of league leaders Real Madrid after nine games.
Meanwhile, Celtic finished their season with a routine 4-2 win over Ross County. Brendan Rodgers’ side were quick out of the blocks as they raced to a 3-0 lead at halftime courtesy of goals from David Turnbull (brace) and Kyogo Furuhashi. However, the visitors’ thought of staging a comeback was thwarted by Mathew O’Riley when he scored in the final 20 minutes of the game. In another free-scoring match between Celtic and Aberdeen, O’Riley and Furuhashi scored in back–to–back games in the 3-1 win. Surprisingly, all that fine start would not amount to anything as Celtic were dumped out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock.
In a bid to extend their early performance in the league, the Bhoys could not find a way past St. Johnstone at Celtic Park as the league game finished goalless. In the Old Firm derby against Rangers, Celtic managed to find a way to defeat their rivals 1-0 away from home. Furuhashi’s late first-half goal made the difference. This derby win was followed by a comfortable 3-0 win over Dundee FC as the Scottish champions went 270 minutes of league action without conceding before they did in the UEFA Champions League opener against Feyenoord. The group opener saw them end on the losing side as Thiago Holm and Lagerbielke were sent off in the contest. The run of clean sheets on the domestic front continued as Celtic won 3-0 at Livingston, but they still had a man sent off – goalkeeper Joe Hart – this time.
Celtic added another win over Motherwell before their second UEFA Champions League game against Lazio at Celtic Park. The Scottish Champions scored first but still lost to the Italians 2-1 in a tight contest. They strolled past Kilmarnock 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership to keep their fine start going. They are the only unbeaten side in the top flight and are the early leaders with as much as a seven-point lead after eight matches.
This is the first time Celtic will travel to Spain to face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Celtic’s record against Spanish opposition is not excellent as they have lost 11 of their 14 meetings. However, in all competitions, Atletico Madrid has never failed to be the Scottish champions, which will motivate going into this game.
Match tickets
The match at the Wanda Metropolitana in Madrid kicks off on Tuesday, 7th October, at 9 PM UK time, and it will be shown live on TNT Sports, with coverage starting from around 8 PM.
The 70,460-capacity stadium is a unique tower, and visiting Celtic should be a beautiful experience. Atletico is ready to challenge for honours this term and has shown great character. Meanwhile, Celtic should have their fans drumming their support for them in this game.
Celtic’s performances in Europe must be more consistent, but they will try their best to make something happen. Given the game’s standard, getting tickets for Atletico Madrid vs Celtic tickets should be easy. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Atletico are also missing some members of the first team. Striker Memphis Depay is nearing a return to the side, while defender Caglar Soyuncu is battling a muscle injury. Former Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has already returned to the squad after his time on the sidelines. Thomas Lemar is not expected to play again this year after he ruptured his Achilles Tendon. Jose Gimenez also has a muscle problem but should be fit enough to participate in this fixture. Conversely, Griezmann, Morata and Lino should lead the line as the Rojiblancos target a place in the next round.
Atlético Madrid: Oblak; Azpilicueta, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso, Riquelme; Llorente, Barrios, Lino; Morata, Griezmann.
Celtic do have several injury worries on their roster. Stephen Welsh and Liel Abada are long-term absentees, while Nathaniel Phillips, Maik Nawrocki, and Carter-Vickers have been in and out of the team recently. The latter could start at the heart of the defence in place of Lagerbielke.
Celtic: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; O’Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Forrest, Furuhashi, Maeda.
Prediction
The two teams met in the semi-finals of the 1973/74 edition of the competition, and the Spanish side progressed then. The Rojiblancos are still in a better form and shape as things stand. Celtic have been a shadow of themselves in Europe as they lost their opening UCL games while maintaining an unbeaten run in the Scottish Premiership.
Regarding the potential goalscorers, Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann have been excellent this season and could lead the Rojiblancos all the way. Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi is also a name to watch out for. The Madrid side’s quality should be evident and help them win this match.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Celtic
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