Ange Postecoglou has named his starting XI to face Champions of Europe Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the 5.45pm (CPT) kick-off in the concluding match in the Champions League Group F.
The big news is that Carl Starfelt returns to the team for the first time since the 4-0 win over theRangers at the start of September. The Sweden international defender will take the place of Cameron Carter-Vickers who misses out after picking up an injury on the plastic pitch at Livingston on Sunday afternoon.
And it’s certainly been a good week for Daizen Maeda who gets the nod for the wide left position. Daizen was the one and only Celtic Star to be named earlier this week in the Japan squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
Joe Hart will captain the side this evening in the absence of both Callum McGregor and CCV. The back four is Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor as the full backs and Starfelt and Moritz Jenz as the central defensive pairing.
In the middle of the park Matt O’Riley completes his journey from Stevenage to the Bernabéu and plays alongside Aaron Mooy and Reo Hatate.
Kyogo leads the line, Liel Abada is preferred to James Forrest on the right wing and Maeda gets the nod for wide on the left, possibly with some defensive duties in mind.
On the bench for Celtic are Bain, Siegrist, Giakoumakis, Haksabanovic, Turnbull, McCarthy, Bernabei, Abildgaard, Jota, Forrest, Ralston and Welsh.
COYBIG
