Chris Sutton admits that it sounds ridiculous but the BT Sport pundit is tipping Celtic to earn a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid.
Over the last decade Real have lifted the trophy five times, the most recent in June when they beat Liverpool in Paris after accounting for Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea along the way.
In contrast Celtic’s European interest ended in the Arctic Circle with a 5-2 defeat from Bodo Glimt in a competition that Real have never entered.
Recent European records could hardly be more contrasting but looking ahead to tonight’s match Sutton explains to Daily Mail readers why the holders are in for a shock:
Ange-ball worked a treat in that 4-0 rout of Rangers on Saturday. Celtic play an attacking brand of football, similar to that we see from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City with short, sharp passing and inverted full backs.
I don’t expect Ange Postecoglou to go changing the way Celtic play because the European champions are in town. He will take the risk in the hope of getting the reward and why not? Celtic will out-run Real Madrid, I have no doubt about that, so let’s see what happens under the lights at one of the world’s most boisterous grounds. It may sound ridiculous to you, but if everything clicks, there’s no reason why Celtic can’t hurt Real.
Score prediction: 2-2
Real have escaped Celtic in European competition for 42 years while the hoops have become fairly regular visitors to the San Siro and Nou Camp.
Celtic’s last Champions League campaign ended with a 1-0 home defeat from Anderlecht in December 2017, a run of five defeats brightened up by a 3-0 win away to the Belgian champions.
Tonight is a fresh start for the club, anticipation is sky high with fans desperate to see how Postecoglou fares against a team that on paper appears to be from an almost different planet.
