MY ACCOUNT
– Real Madrid likely to need win to top Group F
– Los Blancos formidable at home in Europe
– Recommended bet: Real to win to nil
After a disappointing Champions League campaign for Celtic, it is hard to see them leaving Real Madrid with anything but a defeat on Wednesday night.
Real are sat top of Group F but with one game remaining and RB Leipzig just a point behind them in the standings, manager Carlo Ancelotti’s side will not be taking any chances against Celtic.
Meanwhile, the Hoops are destined to finish bottom of the table with no chance of qualifying for the Europa League, as they sit on two points from their first five outings.
Team news
Real Madrid will have to continue without recent Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema as he recovers from muscular fatigue.
The France international has been out of the side for their last three games and they have missed his presence in attack after a defeat to RB Leipzig and a draw with Girona in their last two outings.
Aurelien Tchouameni was rested in the 1-1 stalemate with Girona and looks set to return, while Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard are also pushing for starts against the Scottish champions.
As for Celtic, skipper Callum McGregor is working on his recovery from a knee injury picked up on Champions League duty against Leipzig.
Boss Ange Postecoglou saw Jota back on the field in a 3-0 win at Livingston and the Portuguese forward should feature at some stage at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Celtic could also be boosted by the return of defender Carl Starfelt, who has been out with a knee injury since September but is closing on fitness.
The stats
Celtic have managed just one win in their last 11 games in the Champions League, with their last success in the group stages coming back in 2017 with victory over Anderlecht.
With just three goals scored in their first five games, only one side has scored less times than Celtic in the group stage this season and that is their domestic rivals Rangers (One).
Real earned a 3-0 win at Celtic Park the last time these sides met in September, with Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric and Hazard all getting on the scoresheet.
Los Blancos have been formidable on home soil in this competition, having won six of their last seven games in the Champions League at the Bernabeu.
Prediction
Given the pair’s contrasting form in the Champions League, it is hard to look past the reigning champions Real claiming all three points on Tuesday night.
With just three goals scored in the group stages, Celtic have clearly struggled in attack this season in Europe’s elite competition.
With that in mind, Real Madrid to win to nil is available at 11/10 with LiveScore Bet and could be the way to go for this one in the Spanish capital.
