Celtic FC and Real Madrid have both been crowned champions of Europe, albeit one considerably more than the other.
Celtic’s pinnacle in Europe’s elite club competition came in the more distant past. In the 1966/67 season, they became the first British side to clinch the European Cup, coming from behind to beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon.
The core of that squad returned to the final in 1970, but they suffered defeat to Dutch side Feyenoord. Celtic FC reached the semi-finals in 1971/72 and 1973/74, but the subsequent years proved to be a challenging period for the Bhoys.
In recent seasons, Celtic has regularly secured a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage, with their primary goal securing a spot in the knockout rounds, an achievement that has eluded them in recent years.
Real Madrid's history in the competition is more emphatic. They've won the UEFA Champions League on 14 occasions, which is considerably more than any other club.
The original European Cup was conceived by UEFA in 1955, and Real Madrid made a remarkable start, winning each of the first five editions. Legends like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas were the cornerstones of their invincible squad during that era.
Their reign was put to an end by their arch-rivals, Barcelona, who eliminated them in the first round of the 1960/61 season. Real Madrid then faced defeats in the finals in 1962 and 1964 against Benfica and Internazionale, respectively. However, they bounced back to seize their sixth title in 1966, prevailing over Partizan Belgrade in Brussels.
Their return to the final in 1981 saw Liverpool emerge victorious, with Alan Kennedy scoring the decisive goal at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Between 1998 and 2002, Real Madrid added three more titles to their storied history.
After a decade-long wait, they embarked on a second era of dominance. Between 2014 and 2018, they lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy on four occasions, with Zinedine Zidane orchestrating three consecutive wins during his tenure. Carlo Ancelotti's return to the club facilitated their 14th title in 2021/22, when they triumphed against Liverpool, with Vinicius Jr. scoring the solitary goal.
Celtic vs Real Madrid Head to Head
Celtic and Real Madrid have some history locking horns in European competition. In the 1979/80 season, they were pitted against each other in the quarter-finals of the European Cup. Billy McNeil's Celtic side delivered an impressive 2-0 victory in Glasgow. However, in front of a colossal crowd of 110,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu, they faltered and suffered a 3-0 defeat.
Their other encounter took place in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage, where Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory in Scotland, with goals from Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, and Eden Hazard, all of which arrived in the second half. Things didn't improve for Celtic in Spain, with Los Blancos inflicting a 5-1 defeat on the Scottish club.
Celtic vs Real Madrid Connections
There aren’t many footballers who connect these two great European clubs. One notable player is Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen. The former Everton man completed an unexpected move to Real Madrid in January 2005, making 49 appearances for the club before signing for Celtic in 2006.
Gravesen spent a single season at Celtic Park, making 29 appearances and helping the club to secure a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double.
