By Efosa Taiwo

European Champions, Real Madrid will on Tuesday get their quest for a 15th UEFA Champions League title underway when they travel to Scotland to face Celtic in what is one of the top fixtures in the opening round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season.

Celtic just like Madrid are coming into the fixture with a green form having won seven of their matches in the new season of the Scottish premiership, and Real currently sitting atop of the La Liga standings with five wins out of five games played.

Ange Postecoglou’s side, however, know that it will be a separate kettle of fish on Tuesday night facing an imperious Real Madrid side who are keen on making it a 15th UCL title and would want to begin that quest on a winning note.

Although both sides have met in the past with a win each and five goals scored between them, the two teams have changed significantly from the sides that met in 1979/80.

Celtic last played in the UEFA Champions League in in 2017-18, finishing third in Group B with the last time they advanced through the group stage being the 2012-13 season, finishing second in Group G, before going down 5-0 to Juventus in the round of 16.

The odds are convincingly in favour of Real to trounce Celtic, but when it is considered that Real Madrid are not a team that are very strong in the group stages of the UCL, and how Celtic would want to make a statement in their comeback to the UCL after four years, it becomes crystal clear the crunchy tie bound to go down between both sides.

The Los Blancos will be without Jesus Vallejo and Alvaro Odriozola who missed out the tie at the weekend against Real Betis through injury.

Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde are expected back into the starting line-up after being left out at the weekend with Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo to take spots on the bench.

Ancelloti should also return to his back four comprising Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.

The attacking trio of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde are primed to lead the forward line.

The Bhoys will be without Carl Starfelt who is out with a knee problem and Yosuke Ideguchi who is still recovering from a leg injury.

Real will be wary of the forward pair of Jota and Leil Abada who scored three goals in Celtic’s 4-0 victory against Rangers at the weekend.

In the other fixture in Group F, RB Leipzeg and Shakhtar Donetsk will be looking at edging one another out when they both lock horns in Germany tonight.

Of both sides, Shakhtar Donetsk are coming into the tie with a better form as RB Leipzig sit 13th in the Bundesliga table having just won one in 5 games this season. And to make matters worse, they would be coming into the tie on the back of a 4-0 demolition suffered in the hands of Wolfsburg at the weekend.

Shakhatar, on the other hand, won their game over the weekend against Rukh Vynnyky 1-0, and are currently second in the domestic league without a goal conceded which should add to their confidence as they begin their campaign to outdo their awful performance in the champions league last season where they finished bottom of their champions league group.

They know they would have it tough qualifying from this group with Real, Celtic also in contention, as such, taking advantage of Leipzig’s poor form to nick maximum could prove to be decisive for them at the completion of the group stage.