Celtic midfielder David Turnbull has reflected on what Ange Postecoglou’s squad can learn from the Hoops midweek defeat against Real Madrid.
On Tuesday evening, the Bhoys marked their return to the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time since 2017.
And they faced quite the task, opening their UCL campaign up with a fixture against the current holders of the competition, Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, it ended in disappointment, with the European giants showcasing their class in the second half and running out 3-0 winners.
However, looking closer into the context of the fixture, it would be fair to say it was a closely contested match between the two sides, despite what the scoreline may say.
The Hoops gave Madrid a slight scare and could have taken the lead in the game on multiple occasions, with Callum McGregor coming within inches of scoring.
It may have ended in disappointment, but there is still a lot that Celtic can learn from this game, admitted David Turnbull.
Speaking to the press, the midfielder reflected on his thoughts surrounding the midweek fixture and insisted there were plenty of positives for the Bhoys to take out of the game.
He said [Daily Record]: “It was a good marker for us. I think we can take positives. I don’t think we looked out of place at any time.
“We had chances; it was just about taking them and keeping the door shut at the other end. I don’t think it was a bad performance. It is now just about sticking at it and going again.
“We can take confidence from the way we played, 100 percent. We know the other games will be hard as well, but we will go into them and just try to play our own football and get the results we need.”
He continued: “Those are the kind of teams you want to come up against. We can learn a lot.
“We just need to do it for every minute of the game. We created plenty of chances in the first half. I wouldn’t say in the second half; we were poor. I just think they punished us with the chances they created. That is what we need to do ourselves.
“It is about going out in the next game and playing the way we know we can. We are not just going to forget about it. These are the kind of teams we want to compete against. It is about putting it right in the next few games.”
Real Madrid test will teach Celtic stars a lot ahead of crucial Champions League outings.
Despite only featuring in the game for just under 20 minutes, facing top opposition such as Real Madrid will do a lot for the development of a player like David Turnbull.
The former Motherwell man and his teammates were up against some of the best players in the world, and at times they certainly didn’t look out of place.
If they can learn from the mistakes in the Real Madrid game, and carry that over the next five group stage fixtures, then I am certain the Hoops will have a good chance of success within Group F.
Here’s hoping we can see that progress when we return to Champions League action on Tuesday night against Shakhtar Donetsk.
In other news, The potential dates Celtic’s postponed Scottish Premiership fixture could take place.
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