The Bernabeu has inflicted a few bloody noses on some of its interlopers over the years. Celtic Park, however, has itself been known to knock off a few crowns.
It’s unlikely in the current climate that there is any real threat to football’s dynasties but for the one-off occasion Glasgow can offer a few intimidating environments.
If Celtic’s triumph over Barcelona in 2012 is one of the iconic moments in the club’s modern-day history it is worth remembering that there have been other scalps taken on notable European nights; heavyweights such as Juventus, Porto, Manchester City, AC Milan and Bayern Munich have found that the atmosphere, energy and noise can emboldened Celtic upon their release from the mouth of the tunnel.
“I’ve never been to Madrid, so this will be my first trip. I’m looking forward to seeing the famous Bernabeu,” said the Celtic defender Moritz Jenz, who does not offer an impression of being fazed by much. “But for me, nothing compares to Celtic Park. A lot of players, like [Lionel] Messi and the Bayern Munich players, have spoken about the incredible atmosphere here. It’s a frightening place for an away team because the fans are crazy here in Scotland and the game is intense.
“I think Real Madrid will be looking forward to playing here. It [beating Barcelona and AC Milan] just shows what can be done. I think there’s a lot of good memories of Real. When you remember the games against Bayern Munich, they were very close to Real Madrid. I think these are the teams you want to play against, the memorable moments, where you can maybe do the big moment against them.
“But I think any group, you don’t go there not as tourists … you go there to compete. That’s because it is the Champions League, you want to perform, you want to get out of the group and be at your best. It will be a difficult challenge, of course.
“There are some very good teams in there and we will have to play our way, be at our best and give it a try. Honestly, I have to say since the first training session, there’s really no limit in the team. The quality that we have, every training session is like a challenge. Every training is new, very demanding.
“We have dominated in league games and now it’s going to be very interesting to see how we do in the Champions League against the big teams of the other countries. But we are always looking to improve.”
If there was a sense of self-fulfilling prophecy about the draw given that Callum McGregor and Greg Taylor both spoke recently of wishing for a pairing with Real Madrid, Jenz is optimistic that the same confidence in terms of how Celtic approach the campaign will be key to their success within it.
Having made an immediate impression following his summer loan move from Lorient, the next challenge for the central defender is in chipping in when it comes to the big nights under the bright lights. And he has already settled upon the repeating his acrobatic Rugby Park goal in the more prestigious surrounds of the Bernabeu.
“I first need to stop my goal drought as I didn’t score in the last game!” he joked. “If I have the chance to be dangerous in the box in the Champions League then hopefully I can take it. We’ve been doing a lot of practice on set pieces so if there are opportunities then I want to be as dangerous as possible.
“An overhead kick in Madrid? Of course! A goal is a goal for me, and I’d take a scrappy one as long as I can contribute to the team. But I’ve settled very quickly and I feel right at home here. It’s been amazing since the first minute I came in. The style of play really suits me and that’s why I am performing well. I feel so comfortable and I hope I can keep contributing.”
Celtic added to their pool yesterday with the addition of Montenegro winger Saed Haksabanovic, whose arrival perhaps underlines Ange Postecoglou’s commitment to attacking football regardless of the reputation of the team his men find themselves up against.
“He’s a very talented player and a very nice person,” Jenz said of the former Rubin Kazan star. “When you are a big team you need a lot of options and he is another attacking option for us. There’s a lot of competition all over the team, you look at the centre back positions as well. It’s the same up front. We want to be dangerous for 90 minutes and we have got attacking players who can start or come on with 20 minutes to go and they can make a difference.
“We have to go step by step and continue to be consistent. We have to raise the level again.”
