Hoops Historic Hopes for Atletico Visit

Hoops Historic Hopes for Atletico Visit
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


Matt O'Riley provided a sublime finish to open the scoring in the 4-1 win agaist Hearts on Sunday


Celtic Park, Glasgow
Wednesday, 25 October 2023
20.00 GMT

The Hoops are at home next when they host the La Liga side, Atletico Madrid, in this third fixture of this season's Champions League campaign on Wednesday evening.

The Bhoys impressed against Hearts on Sunday, where they secured a comfortable 4-1 victory, with Matt O'Riley, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Tomoki Iwata all getting on the scoresheet. Following the Tynecastle result, Rodgers spoke about how well he feels that the Bhoys have developed in meeting his expectations in adapting to his style.

Doing so against the familiar of domestic competition is one thing. The question now is as much for the manager as it is about the team; how can he now adapt them when taking on more fancied continental opposition?

Celtic's Champions League ambitions are already in the balance after back to back defeats to Feyenoord and Lazio, and unless they can take something from this week's match it will be increasingly difficult to progress in Europe beyond the turn of the year.

Yet to do so the Hoops have a considerable challenge ahead and will need to overturn not just their own recent history and the form of the opposition, but potentially also attempt to level an old score that extends all the way back to the Stein era.


Tomoki Iwata blasted an emphatic finish to record his first Celtic goal in the 4-1 win at Tynecastle

These sides first met in the notorious 1974 European Cup Semi-Final, which turned Paradise into a horror show. In the opinions of many, it was a game that has gone down as the dirtiest that has ever been played at Celtic Park.

Atletico fielded a team with little intent other than the most brutal tactics to depart Glasgow having blunted the Bhoys' ability to play football. Indeed, they proceeded to batter the Celtic players relentlessly for the full 90 minutes, with Kenny Dalglish, Davie Hay, Harry Hood, Bobby Lennox, Danny McGrain and Jimmy Johnstone in particular all being targeted for dreadful treatment, subjected to repeated horrific assaults and fouls.

After no less than 10 Atletico players were booked, finally the first red card was shown. Indeed, the Spanish side finished with just 8 players on the field as 2 more red cards were issued, but they got what they wanted as the match eventually finished, 0-0.

It was a bruising experience, in which even Jock Stein and many others contemplated the necessity to even go to play the return leg, in protest. In the end they did and in Madrid, the Bhoys would go down to two late goals.

Celtic would not reach the Semi-Final stage in European competition again until 2003.

The Hoops next came up against 'Los Colchoneros' in 1985 in the Cup Winners' Cup. Despite a commendable 1-1 result in Madrid, unfortunately it was an all too familiar story in the return leg (played behind closed doors due to the Rapid Vienna fiasco), as the Hoops once again went out, downed by a 3-2 aggregate over the 2 legs.


1974: The first ever meeting between these sides is regarded as the dirtiest ever game at Parkhead

This time, the Spanish visitors arrive on the back of a 6th consecutive win in all competitions after beating Celta Vigo, 3-0, at the weekend, in a run of results that began with their defeating Real, 3-1, in the Madrid derby, last month.

In fact, if Celtic were to emerge victorious on Wednesday, it will be just the second time this season that any side has gotten the better of Atletico Madrid - a feat that only Valencia has managed to achieve thus far.

And it is a similiar story as the visitors sit atop the Group E standings with Lazio, after a 1-1 draw with the Roman club and defeating Feyenoord, 3-2, while Celtic are still searching for their first win at this stage of the competition since September 2017 - and not at Parkhead since 2012.

When added to the history between these sides, as well as Rodgers' personal track record, it does underline how much the Hoops will be up against on Wednesday.

But after a stirring performance away at Tynecastle, perhaps history awaits.

By the Numbers​

• The Hoops have not won a Champions League Group Stage match since defeating Anderlecht in September 2017.

• In his entire managerial career, including both Liverpool & Celtic, Brendan Rodgers has won just 2 out of 20 Champions League Group Stage games.

• The Madrid side have scored at least twice in each of their past 6 matches.

Kyogoal! The Japanese striker has scored in each of the last 8 successive games against Hearts

Team News

Celtic got through the visit to Edinburgh largely in tact and Brendan Rodgers should once again have close to a full squad to select from, apart from the continued absence of Stephen Walsh (ankle) and Liel Abada (thigh) ruled out through injury.

Additionally, the Celtic manager's options will be further enchanced with the return of Gustaf Lagerbielke and Thiago Odin Holm from their respective suspensions that they picked up during the 2-0 defeat by Feyenoord on Matchday 1.

As for the visitors, manager Diego Simeone will unlikely be able to call upon Brazilian winger Samuel Lino. who picked up a 'moderate knee injury'. While he is not expected to be out long term, it is almost certain to see him ruled out, along with the previously sidelined Vitolo, Jose Gimenez, Memphis Depay, Thomas Lemar and Reinildo

It is also reported that Argentine World Cup winner, Angel Correa is a doubt after being forced off with a sprain after an hour's play in the win over Celta Vigo on Saturday. This is in addition to Caglar Soyuncu and Pablo Barrios, who are also in a race against time to prove their fitness for this match.

Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)

The 42y.o will lead a team of German match officials for this match. Zwayer has taken charge of 27 previous Champions League matches on top of 215 Bundesliga games since making his debut at that level in 2009.

VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)



~~~~ Head to Head ~~~~

Overall
P:6 W:0 D:2 L:4

Celtic v All Spanish Opposition
P:38 W:8 D:7 L:23​

~~~~ 2022/23 Form ~~~~

All Comps
W W L W W ~ W W W W W​