Celtic confirm dates of Champions League group fixtures against Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk

Celtic will start their Champions League group stage campaign at home to Real Madrid after fixture dates and times were finalised with UEFA.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been drawn to face Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk after reaching the competition proper for the first time since 2017.

Following the draw, UEFA work out the fixture list across all eight groups and those dates and times have now been published.

Celtic have been handed an opening game against the champions on what is sure to be a huge night in Glasgow’s east end. The match against Real Madrid kicks off at 8pm on September 6.

That’s followed by back-to-back away games against Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig on September 14 and October 5, both with 5.45pm kick-off times.

The fixtures then reverse with Celtic welcoming RB Leipzig to Celtic Park on October 11 and Shakhtar two weeks later.

The group games conclude with Celtic travelling to play Real Madrid at Estadio Bernabeu on November 2.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor is eagerly anticipating the group games, particularly the matches against the reigning champions Real Madrid.

“I think it’s a brilliant draw,” McGregor told the club website. “Obviously most Celtic fans would have wanted Real Madrid, and it’s great to go a big stadium over there to play them.

‘Then to get Real Madrid back here at Celtic Park, it doesn’t come any bigger than that as a fixture, so I’m everyone will be buzzing when that game comes around.’

“We’ve got another two top teams as well in Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk. Obviously we’re a bit more familiar with Leipzig from when we played them in the Europa League about four years ago, and it just shows you that they’ve made the step up to the Champions League and stayed there the past few years.

“And then Shakhtar are one of the teams that Celtic played a few years ago in the group stages of the Champions League, so they are teams that we’re pretty familiar with.

“I’ve spoken before about being a ballboy at these Champions League games, including against Shakhtar Donetsk, so it just shows you that there’s always a fairytale aspect to football – that I’m actually now playing for Celtic in the same competition and against the same opponent that I was sitting watching all those years ago.

“So they’ll all be really good games, really good fixtures, and it will be a really competitive group.”