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Celtic's return to the Champions League radical stage was an unhappy 1 arsenic Ange Postecoglou's broadside were outclassed 3-0 by holders Real Madrid successful Glasgow.
After Celtic much than held their ain successful a scoreless archetypal half, the classy Spaniards lifted with a devastating 2nd fractional blitz and goals to stars Vinicius Jr, Luka Modric and Eden Hazard astatine a packed Celtic Park.
After a 5 twelvemonth lack from Europe's apical flight, Celtic skipper Callum McGregor astir gave the hosts a daze pb successful the 21st infinitesimal but his saccharine onslaught from extracurricular the container was denied by the woodwork.
Watch Ange Postecoglou's Celtic and the world's champion footballers successful the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, streaming ad-free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport
The deadlock was yet breached successful the 56th minute aft a sweeping determination from Madrid.
Federico Valverde picked retired Vinicius and the Brazilian applied a chill decorativeness for 1-0.
Legendary midfielder Modric past doubled the pb connected the hr people cutting wrong and poking location from adjacent scope with the extracurricular of his superb close foot.
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"You enactment truthful hard for that and successful the abstraction of a mates of minutes the game's moved distant from you," commentator Alan Smith said connected Stan Sport's coverage.
"But they are playing the champions of Europe."
Postecoglou brought Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy connected for inspiration but Hazard enactment the effect beyond uncertainty successful the 77th minute, swooping from adjacent scope aft Dani Carvajal hooked the shot backmost expertly.
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Hazard had replaced gunstriker Karim Benzema who was substituted with an evident genu wounded successful the 30th minute.
Benzema enactment his manus connected his look arsenic helium dilatory walked disconnected the field.
Celtic's adjacent Champions League duty is against Shakhtar Donetsk connected September 15.
Shakhtar thumped RB Leipzig 4-1 successful their Group F opener connected Wednesday.
"Remember it's Real Madrid truthful you're talking the champion squad successful the world," erstwhile Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich said connected Stan Sport.
"So don't get excessively down (if you're Celtic). Just instrumentality those fewer small things retired of it.
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"Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk are not going to beryllium the aforesaid modular truthful they tin spell aft those 2 teams, particularly astatine home.
"Don't fto it sound your assurance excessively overmuch and look guardant to the adjacent games.
"We haven't fto ourselves down, we didn't look retired of spot but we've learnt a mates of things. That's it."
As good arsenic McGregor's adjacent miss, Celtic rued a one-on-one concern squandered by Liel Abada successful the first.
Postecoglou's broadside continued to onslaught but were yet picked disconnected by Madrid's adept counter-attack.
Belgium seasoned Hazard was influential successful Benzema's lack and was progressive successful the archetypal 2 goals earlier scoring himself.
"You recognize astatine this level it's good margins and the archetypal extremity was ever going to beryllium important," Postecoglou said.
"Until that archetypal extremity we were close successful the game, astir apt had the amended opportunities but we didn't instrumentality them. Once they scored they took power of the game.
"We took immoderate risks and they had the prime to capitalise connected it."
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