Callum learns a Euro lesson
APPARENTLY Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino cannot be taken seriously until they have won something. Well, now that should be only a matter of time – unless Real Madrid sign them all up this summer. It must be a long time since the Spanish club’s dignitaries sat glum-faced in the Royal Box have seen a team in all-white play with such enthusiasm – and Real Madrid have won the Champions League for the past two seasons. So Dele Alli – after his two goals – is now presumably on the shopping list this summer alongside Harry Kane. Christian Eriksen outplayed Luka Modric and the defensive unit was as solid as anything in England, while the two full-backs excelled in all three thirds of the pitch. That is what a team performance is all about. Arguably the most impressive thing about Tottenham’s approach to the game was that from the first whistle every single player wanted the ball. After attracting so many AT WEMBLEY CELTIC scorer Callum McGregor hopes to use Tuesday’s loss to Bayern Munich as a “stepping stone” for more European adventures.
There were plenty of positives for the Hoops in the 2-1 defeat by the German champions this week, despite their now inevitable exit from the Champions League.
Attention turns to the Europa League, where Celtic will fancy their chances if they can replicate Tuesday’s Parkhead performance.
McGregor, who impressed in his first start in the group stages, said: “You want to test yourself against the best. That’s where you want to play and you want to learn as much as you can.
“In terms of the previous games, it feels like a stepping stone. You can see we’re getting better.
“We have a better tactical idea of what we’re trying to do in these big games and I think you saw that we can go toe to toe with the big boys.
“That’s what we wanted to show. We were just unfortunate with the two goals.”
A misjudgment by Dedryck Boyata led to Kingsley Coman rounding Craig Gordon for the Bayern opener against the run of play, before McGregor finished coolly following good work by James Forrest.
Javi Martinez scored Bayern’s winner moments after McGregor’s strike, leaving the Bhoys to contemplate a thirdplace finish, although McGregor is refusing to overlook Anderlecht before they travel to Glasgow in December.
While admitting Celtic were targeting the Europa League, McGregor added: “First we need to look after actually getting there. We know it will be a tough game when Anderlecht come here.
“We need to focus and if we get through then we’ll see who we get and take it from there.”