The fine margins. The fine margins. The fine margins, I hear everyone scream. We have been saying this for the entirety of our most recent Champions League campaign. We matched Madrid well at Celtic Park after missing several good opportunities. The same happened away to Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw when should have won the match for sure. Then the double header against RB Leipzig all but sealed our fate.
MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 02: Marco Asensio of Real Madrid scores their sides third goal past Joe Hart of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Real Madrid and Celtic FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 02, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
But tonight there wasn’t much to play for in terms of glory. Nevertheless, pride and reputation is always on the line in European competition. The penalties were unfortunate but sometimes you just feel that we should be doing far better defensively; Jenz looked helluva ropey in the Bernabèu – and not for the first time this season if we’re being brutally honest – whilst the one before the O’Riley incident is saved from going out by the Real player whilst we were standing still.
It just seems these things happen to us in perpetuum at this level.
MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 02: Joe Hart of Celtic looks dejected after Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid scores their sides fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Real Madrid and Celtic FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 02, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Jota’s goal was magnificent and it was right out of the top drawer. The freekick was really the only highlight for me tonight as it was like just watching the previous five games on repeat. Juranovic really has to score that penalty too. How many golden opportunities do we want? If he scored that it at least gives us some impetus to try and make them sweat a bit.
I have to agree with Steve McMannaman though; Federico Valverde should never have had that much space to shoot, and it elucidated once again the need for a strong defensive midfielder in Europe. Too many times our midfield and defence are miles apart and found wanting. Jota was the one at fault for not busting a gut in this case as pointed out on BT Sport.
French referee Stephanie Frappart gestures after checking the VAR (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
I understand that this is Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabèu – that fact is not lost on me, believe me. But still, I hear folk mention the positives too often when we should be more excoriating. A hammering is a hammering no matter which way you cut it. It’s not good these kind of results even if it is away from home.
Overall, that’s not to say there isn’t definite positives to take from the Champions League experience this year as a whole. We have taken the game to everyone we’ve played and we have created countless chances to win matches. It’s the cutting edge that is absolutely killing us at present. Kyogo had a chance tonight and so did Giakoumakis. Both shots went right down the goalkeeper’s throat. Juranovic’s penalty was also bewildering; Courtois is massive, put it down low Josip, for heaven’s sake son!
Celtic’s Portuguese midfielder Joao Pedro Neves Filipe (R) celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 6 Group F football match between Real Madrid CF and Celtic FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on November 2, 2022. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
We will come back next year again bigger and better to quote one Angelos Postecoglou. But we need to get out of the habit of celebrating defeats like this if we are to improve our mentality at this level. There was one positive tonight and that was Jota’s freekick. End of. We take it for what it is and move on now. However, next time around we must ensure these past mistakes don’t still affect us and resonate within our European displays.
Until next year, Champions League…
Paul Gillespie
