Real Madrid kick off their Champions League title defence with a Group F opener at Celtic on Tuesday evening, where Los Blancos will have to tame the white-hot atmosphere at Parkhead to succeed in Glasgow. Both teams have made perfect starts domestically and something has to give in Scotland this week.
This stats pack runs down all the numbers from Celtic and Real’s seasons so far. That gives you all the stats you need to bet on goals, shots, corners and cards with a better chance of winning.
Predicted Lineups
Japanese midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi is listed as Celtic’s only confirmed injury absentee this week, though his compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi is considered doubtful after he was withdrawn just five minutes into the weekend’s Glasgow derby.
Head Coach Ange Postecoglou likes to deploy his team in a fluid 4-3-3 formation and that set-up allowed Celtic to blow rivals Rangers away (4-0) on Saturday.
Real Madrid’s formation (4-3-3) is set in stone under Carlo Ancelotti, though there was a slight changing of the guard in midfield over the summer following the departure of Casemiro and arrival of Aurelian Tchouameni.
German midfielder Toni Kroos was left on the bench for 80 minutes of Real’s 2-1 win over Betis on Saturday and the 32-year-old should slot back to the XI on Tuesday.
Team Stats
Celtic have been running roughshod over their opponents in Scotland this season, posting impressive figures for just about every attacking metric across the board.
Their swashbuckling forward play understandably grabs the most attention, however, Celtic have also excelled defensively in the Premiership, shipping just 0.17 goals p/90 and allowing opponents to register only 2.00 shots on target per 90 against.
Real Madrid have been hitting considerably fewer goals p/90 (2.75) than Celtic, though they have trumped the Hoops for both xG for (2.79) and shots for p/90 (21.30) since the summer.
Those figures are even more remarkable when you consider how tough La Liga is when compared to the Premiership in Scotland. It is worth noting however, that Real have conceded almost double the number of shots against p/90 (3.75) when stacked up against Celtic. Indeed, Los Blancos have yet to keep a clean sheet this term.
Player Shots and Shots on Target
Celtic’s forwards have been running riot in Scotland this season where they have plundered an eye-watering 25 goals in just six assignments.
Joint-top scorers, Liel Abada (3.23) and Kyogo Furushashi (2.06), lead the way in the individual stakes for shots on target mustered p/90, though Portuguese winger Jota has been the team’s most clinical operator, notching four goals from just 1.44 SOT p/90.
Veteran French striker Karim Benzema is approaching his mid-30s, though he remains Real Madrid’s focal point in attack, where he tops the rankings for both shots (5.75) and shots on target (2.25) per 90.
Vinicius, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo tend to share duties either side of Benzema in Real’s final third triumvirate, though Vinicius’ numbers (1.83 SOT, 4.45 shots p/90) highlight his greater potency.
Player Goals and Assists
Celtic have reliable goalscorers in several departments and nine different players have chipped in to build their 25-goal haul in the Premiership.
Liel Abada (6) and Kyogo Furushashi (6) have been finishing the most chances, though Portuguese star Jota’s combined goal contributions (8) emphasise just how crucial a component he can be.
Karim Benzema (3) and Brazilian winger Vinicius (3) are Real’s joint-top scorers in La Liga this season, though the Frenchman should pull away from his teammate soon.
Versatile Austrian David Alaba’s (2) appearance as a leading assist-maker is interesting. The former Bayern man collected just three assists for the entire campaign in 2021/22.
Celtic Cards
Celtic have been enjoying close to 70% of the ball in the Premiership this season and a low card count (8) has been a by-product of their dominance.
Carl Starfelt’s fouls per 90 figure (2.50) makes for interesting reading, however, and the Swedish centre-half is one to watch on Tuesday. Israeli attacker Liel Abada also tends to clock his fair share of fouls (1.61) due to his pressing instructions.
Armed with explosive pace and a silky touch, Vinicius has the skills to tangle defender’s tibias and his high dribbles p/90 numbers (6.05) make sense of his lofty fouled per 90 stats (3.42).
Toni Kroos is a regular target for opponents keen to break up Real’s passing patterns and the German also takes his fair share of lumps in midfield (fouled 2.63 times p/90).
Match-Ups to watch:
Carl Starfelt vs Vinicius
Liel Abada vs Ferland Mendy
Matt O’Riley vs Toni Kroos
Real Madrid Cards
Like Celtic, Real Madrid’s overall card count has been low domestically, indeed, they have collected fewer cautions than any other team in La Liga (3).
Unsurprisingly, their more defensive players fill the ranks of Los Blancos’ most potent foulers. Aurelien Tchouameni (1.94), Dani Carvajal (1.11) and Luka Modric (1.38) are all names worth noting in the foul p/90 space. Eduardo Camavinga beats them all for that metric, though he is unlikely to start in Glasgow.
Celtic boss Ange Ange Postecoglou likes his fullbacks to push high and both Greg Taylor (1.83) and Josip Juranovic (1.53) have been drawing plenty of attention and fouls as a result.
Key creator and pattern weaver Jota has been Celtic’s second-most fouled player (1.61 p/90) and Real Madrid are certain to have identified the attacker as a player to shackle on Tuesday.
Match-Ups to watch:
Aurelien Tchouameni vs Jota
Dani Carvajal vs Greg Taylor
Luka Modric vs Jota
Take these stats with a pinch of salt, the Scottish Premiership is no comparison to La Liga. It’ll help you build a bet, but these games are always hard to call.
That being said, please keep the stakes low and keep to budget this week by setting deposit limits.
