Elena Sadiku has challenged Celtic to play with “swagger” as they attempt to upset the odds to open their Champions League Group B account against Real Madrid.
The Scottish champions face the Liga F runners-up at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Thursday evening with both sides having lost their opening fixture.
Sadiku admits the hosts will be firm favourites but has agreed with keeper Kelsey Daugherty’s assessment of how they need to approach the game if they are to bounce back from Sunday’s 1-0 league defeat at Hearts and emerge with something to show for their efforts.
🎥 Inside Training
Watch as the Ghirls train ahead of matchday two in the #UWCL against Real Madrid 🏃♀️⤵️#RealMadridCeltic | #UWCL | #CelticFC🍀
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) October 16, 2024
The Swedish head coach said: “It was Kelsey who said that we need to show ‘swagger’. I don’t know if it’s a Scottish word but I think that we need to come with confidence as well because we are the champions of Scotland, we’ve done something really great.
“Obviously if you look away from the result this weekend, I think we’ve been doing well domestically.
“We need to know that we’re a great team and that’s something I want to see tomorrow.”
The Ghirls’ first foray into the group stage of the competition ended in a sobering 2-0 defeat by Dutch side FC Twente as Madrid went down 3-2 at Chelsea.
🛬➡️🏃♀️➡️🎙️ #RealMadridCeltic | #UWCL | #CelticFC🍀 https://t.co/ClExDrui4U pic.twitter.com/Gg4we4Q2TV
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) October 16, 2024
Sadiku, however, believes, her team will be better prepared for the task they face in Spain for the experience of that bruising evening.
She said: “I feel against Twente as well, we were kind of underdogs but this is a bigger challenge when it comes to who we’re going to face.
“But I don’t think so much about underdogs or favourites or that situation, I just focus on looking at the game-plan and hoping to execute it as well as possible to get the best performance out of the players, but also to help get the points.”
For striker Amy Gallacher, there is the added incentive of coming up against fellow Scotland international Caroline Weir, back among the Madrid ranks after almost a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Gallacher said: “Personally, I looked up to Caroline Weir when I was young growing up playing football, so to play against her playing for Real Madrid, it’s a bit crazy. It’s just something I’m looking forward to.
“Obviously she’s a great attacking player for them. She creates goals, she scores goals, so obviously that’s something we want to stop during the game.
“She’s a massive player for them, so if we stop her, then we give ourselves a chance, so hopefully we can do that tomorrow.”
Asked what she admired about Weir as a youngster, the 25-year-old said: “Just the way she plays. Similar positions – I’m not going to compare myself to her – but obviously she’s someone I look up to and want to play like.”
Man City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday desperate for victoryCityzens fell further into crisis with late Manchester derby defeatVillans hoping to further punish miserable Man City formManchester City make the challenging trip to Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League as they desperately look to end their three-game winless run.Last weekend's late and embarrassing defeat to local rivals M...
Team newsCrystal Palace will be without Eberechi Eze, who injured his hip in the midweek EFL defeat by Arsenal.Matheus Franca and Adam Wharton are still sidelined because of groin injuries, with neither expected to feature again in 2024.Defender Daniel Munoz, who served an EFL Cup ban in midweek, is again suspended as a result of accumulating five yellow cards in the Premier League.Arsenal midfiel...
After their dreams of EFL Cup stardom crashed and burned in midweek, Brentford make a welcome return to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, when Nottingham Forest visit for a Premier League battle.Thomas Frank's men fell to a 3-1 loss to Newcastle United in Wednesday's cup quarter-final, while the Garibaldi pulled off a tremendous late turnaround to sink Aston Villa 2-1 last weekend.Away days...
Looking to enjoy a top-flight success in front of their East Anglian faithful for the first time this season, Ipswich Town will welcome Newcastle United to Portman Road on Saturday afternoon for a Premier League clash.The Tractor Boys delivered a significant blow in the survival race last weekend by downing Wolverhampton Wanderers in the West Midlands, whilst the Magpies have enjoyed a pair of pro...
Vincent Kompany will hope his Bayern Munich side can take a huge step towards the Bundesliga title when they welcome RB Leipzig to Allianz Arena on Friday.Bayern lead the way in the top flight with 33 points after 14 matchweeks, but they lost for the first time in the league when they were beaten 2-1 by Mainz 05 on December 14, while Die Roten Bullen are fourth with 27 points and defeated Eintrach...
With their Serie A title hopes all but ended before reaching halfway, AC Milan hope to boost their pursuit of a top-four finish when they visit Hellas Verona on Friday evening.While Milan have slumped into mid-table following a run of one win from five, Verona ended a run of four straight defeats with victory last time out.Now 11 points behind arch-rivals Inter Milan and 13 shy of Serie A leaders ...
Girona will be bidding to halt a four-game losing run in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against struggling Real Valladolid on Friday night.The hosts will enter the match off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Mallorca, while Real Valladolid moved off the bottom of the La Liga table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Valencia last time out.Girona will bring a six-game ...
Lille will look to avoid a potential cup shock when they travel to third-tier Rouen in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France on Friday night.Bruno Genesio's side are currently 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, but face a team that have been rejuvenated since the arrival of manager Regis Brouard.This fixture has the potential to become one of the biggest stories of the weekend if Lille slip u...
Eyupspor will be eager to retain their place in the top four as they face Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig round 17 at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on Friday.It will be the first meeting between both sides in over eight decades, with the hosts welcoming one of the most successful clubs in the country to their home for the first time in the top flight.Eyupspor are enjoying a solid start to their...
Enzo Maresca has said that Chelsea believe Mykhailo Mudryk is innocent following his positive drugs test and will continue to "support" the player.Mudryk and Chelsea released statements on Tuesday confirming that the FA had been in contact over the Ukraine winger supplying an adverse urine sample, with both player and club expressing their surprise.Head coach Maresca faced the media for the first ...
- 1 Benjamin Sesko has already said yes to Arsenal
- 2 Joao Felix eyed by ‘very interested club’
- 3 Liverpool flop and ex-Page 3 girl were 'freaked out'
- 4 Shaun Murphy copies Lionel Messi as he sleeps with Masters trophy
- 5 Teen arrested after shock abuse against Kai Havertz's wife Sophia
- 6 Daily Laugh - Chelsea 's back !!
- 7 Man Utd 'consider Jack Grealish transfer'
- 8 Mourinho makes drastic career change and launches 'The Special One' wine
- 9 Ex-Bundesliga star's WAG has intimate tattoo of footballer husband
- 10 City, Frankfurt reach deal for Marmoush