Glasgow: Eden Hazard made sure Real Madrid didn’t miss the injured Karim Benzema.
Hazard scored a goal and set up two others after replacing Benzema as Madrid began defence of their Champions League title with a comfortable 3-0 win at Celtic on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).
Vinicius jnr and Luka Modric also scored second-half goals for the defending champions as former Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou became the first Australian to manage in the men’s Champions League at Celtic Park.
Benzema, the competition’s top scorer last season with 15 goals, had to be substituted in the 30th minute with an apparent knee injury. The France striker started limping and put his hand on his right knee before asking to be replaced and slowly walking off the field.
Hazard came in and was involved in the first two Madrid goals. He helped set up Federico Valverde for a cross that found Vinicius free inside the area in the 56th, then four minutes later he assisted Modric for his goal from close range.
Hazard found the net himself from inside the area in the 77th for his first goal with Madrid since January.
Postecoglou applauds the fans at Celtic Park following a 3-0 defeat by Real Madrid.Credit:Getty
The 34-year-old Benzema is coming off his best season ever, when he was the leading scorer both in the Champions League and the Spanish league, which Madrid also won.
Madrid defeated Liverpool in last season’s Champions League final after an incredible run in which they had to rally against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea with decisive goals by Benzema.
“We understand at this level, it’s fine margins,” a deflated Postecoglou told Stan Sport.
“The first goal was always going to be important, I thought right up until that first goal went in we were right in the game. We probably had the better opportunities and didn’t take them. Once they scored, they took control of the game, they’ve got the quality to control it, we had to take some risks, and they had the quality to capitalise.
“You know at this level you’re not going to dominate the whole game, you get a certain amount of opportunities to punish the opposition. Unless you experience it, it’s probably the hardest way to learn but the best way to learn.
“This is a special football club. Anyone who was here tonight would know that … [the fans] didn’t stop supporting the team and the responsibility lies on me to get this football club to the level it deserves to be.”
It was an open match early on in Glasgow, with both teams creating scoring opportunities but missing the target. Celtic had a few good occasions in the first half, including a one-on-one situation squandered by Liel Abada and a shot on the post by Callum McGregor.
It was Madrid’s first Champions League game since defensive midfielder Casemiro joined Manchester United, breaking up a midfield that was touted as one of the best in the world with the Brazilian playing alongside Toni Kroos and Modric, who made his 100th Champions League appearance with the club.
Luka Modric made his 100th appearance for the European champions.Credit:AP
Coach Carlo Ancelotti played with Aurelien Tchouameni in Casemiro’s position on Tuesday, with Valverde playing more up front along with Vinicius and Benzema.
Celtic has won only once in their last 10 group stage matches since defeating Barcelona in 2012, with eight losses and a draw. Celtic has lost its last six group-stage games at home in the Champions League. They are winless in its last 11 group-stage openers in the European competition, with nine losses and two draws.
Shakhtar Donetsk won 4-1 at Leipzig in the other Group F game on Tuesday. PSG beat Juventus 2-1 in their Group H opener, while Manchester City did it easy with a 4-0 win at Sevilla.
Elsewhere, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel lambasted his squad for showing no hunger or determination in their 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, saying he did not see this performance coming after he thought they had turned a corner.
Champions League matchday 1 results
- Dinamo Zagreb 1 Chelsea 0
- Borussia Dortmund 3 Copenhagen 0
- Benfica 2 Maccabi Haifa 0
- Sevilla 0 Manchester City 4
- RB Salzburg 1 AC Milan 1
- Celtic 0 Real Madrid 3
- RB Leipzig 1 Shakhtar Donetsk 4
- PSG 2 Juventus 1
Thursday (all times AEST):
- Ajax v Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt v Sporting Lisbon
- 5am: Inter Milan v Bayern Munich, Barcelona v Victoria Plzen, Napoli v Liverpool, Atletico Madrid v Porto, Tottenham v Marseille, Club Brugge v Bayer Leverkusen
The loss was Chelsea’s third in five games and the Premier League side looked poor in attack and flat-footed in defence when they conceded a counter-attack goal early in the first half.
An angry Tuchel also blamed himself but said it was not the performance he expected after Chelsea narrowly beat West Ham United over the weekend.
“I didn’t see it coming, obviously I was in the wrong movie,” Tuchel said. “I thought that the last game helped us… I thought the team was prepared, I thought we know what this is all about.
“I don’t really know where this performance today comes from. A lack of determination, a lack of hunger and a lack of intensity to actually do the things that we need at the highest level. We are clearly not where we want to be.
Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat in Croatia was their third in their past five games.Credit:Getty
“I’m angry about our performance… It’s not precise enough, it’s not clinical enough, it’s not aggressive enough on the ball, it’s not determined enough. It’s not good enough individually, it’s not good enough as a team.”
Tuchel said they did not underestimate Zagreb but added that Chelsea losing focus has been the “story of the last few games” where they start well before conceding goals.
“We start OK for 15 to 20 minutes but then lacked determination, precision and maybe even lacked the smell of blood,” Tuchel added.
“We conceded a goal with two players in a counter-attack – never happened before. I don’t understand why it happened today. It’s clearly my job to analyse it.
“We need to be much better… We are not happy with our results, we are not happy with the way we play in general, but I thought we were on a good way. I’m a bit surprised by this performance today.”
Watch every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League on Stan Sport. Matchday 1 continues with Tottenham v Marseille (Thursday 4:35am AEST) and Manchester United v Sociedad (Friday 4:35am AEST).
