WE CAN BEAT REAL MADRID

● KYOGO: I believe that we’re more than capable of toppling Spanish giants ● ANGE: No one should underestimate the size of the job facing Celtic

Benzema and Co offering the perfect opportunity to prove it.

‘I am looking forward to playing against them,’ said the Japanese star, with Celtic also facing RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F.

‘Last season we were champions so I would like to see our performances now individually and collectively in the Champions League.

‘We would like to show and express our best. We have time to grow up now. We will work hard to improve and become a better team and evolve until these games.

‘I think we can beat them. We have to express on the pitch what we have been working on. Through the way we play, we can beat any team so we just have to try and do it.’

Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova shocked Madrid by beating them in the Bernabeu in last year’s group stage.

Asked if that could inspire Celtic over the two games, Furuhashi added: ‘There are a lot of equal opportunities for all teams in the Champions League.

‘We just believe in our football, our play and we have good supporters, staff and team-mates. They are all supporting us so we will work hard to get a good result.

‘All teams are very good and whatever group we got would have been okay for me. But to compete against Real Madrid, Leipzig and Shakhtar is a really nice group for me — I would like to play as soon as possible. This will be a good opportunity for the team and for me as well to grow up.’

Postecoglou insists there’s no underestimating the scale of the task Celtic will face in the Champions League.

And the Australian feels they could scarcely have been handed a tougher assignment as they seek to prolong their interest in Europe into the new year.

‘It’s tough whatever group you get,’ he said.

‘I know people who do the old “on paper” exercise and, on paper to me, this looks extremely tough.

‘The reality is there’s a reason why we’re in pot four. That’s because, recently, these teams have had a really strong Champions League pedigree.

‘It’s a tough group, and any group we could have got would have been tough, because our own recent experiences in Europe haven’t reached the heights of others.

‘For us, that’s the challenge. If you look at this group and see anything other than a really tough challenge then you aren’t really looking close enough.’

Madrid’s pedigree goes without saying as 14-time European champions, while Leipzig have established themselves as a leading club in Germany and have been Champions League regulars since Celtic played them in the Europa League in 2018-19. Ukrainian champions Shakhtar have to play their games in Warsaw due to the Russian invasion but are still competing in the group stage for a sixth straight season.

‘It’s exciting,’ said Postecoglou. ‘The first thing is it’s great we are in it. You kind of realise how special it is when you are part of the draw and get all the anticipation. I’m just really looking forward to it and experiencing the special nature of the competition.’

Celtic skipper Callum McGregor will become the third captain after Billy McNeill and Danny McGrain to lead the team out in the Bernabeu.

Having faced most of the giants of European football over the past decade, he was hoping to face Real at some point.

‘To play against the holders is exactly what you want,’ said McGregor. ‘It doesn’t come any bigger — the champions coming and playing us at Celtic Park. What a night that will be.

‘Also, to go and play in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid in their famous all-white kit, that’s the stuff of dreams.’

Celtic first have to tackle struggling Dundee United tomorrow as they seek to maintain their two-point lead at the top of the table.

‘Obviously there’s been excitement with the Champions League draw but the players are very much focused on the game at the weekend, and we’ll get to the Champions League stuff in a couple of weeks,’ the skipper said.

Sead Haksabanovic became Postecoglou’s eighth summer signing this week when he joined from Rubin Kazan for £1.8million.

Asked if he anticipated many more transfer dealings before the window closes on Thursday, the manager said: ‘There are a few days and there is the potential for a couple of outgoings which might give us the opportunity to bring more in. I don’t expect there will be a lot of activity but it just depends on how things go over the next few days.’ CELTIC have urged fans not to travel to Madrid without a ticket after learning they will get just 1,800 tickets for the game due to the redevelopment of the Bernabeu. A club statement read: ‘We have been notified by Real Madrid that Celtic will receive a reduced allocation of 1,800 tickets for our match in Madrid, due to ongoing construction work at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Clearly, while expecting a huge demand for all our away matches, as is always the case, Celtic would urge fans not to travel without a ticket.

‘We would strongly advise supporters not to book any travel before receiving match ticket confirmation.’