Celtic in 'best place' ahead of Champions League opener

Ange Postecoglou's side prepare to welcome Real Madrid to Parkhead

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou believes his side are in the "best place" they can be ahead of their Champions League opener against Real Madrid next week.

The Scottish champions host the European champions at Celtic Park on Tuesday, September 6, in their first match in the group stage since 2017.

Despite being drawn in a tough group alongside Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk, Postecoglou is confident his team can make an impact.

Celtic have enjoyed a strong start to the season

Celtic have won their first five games of the season in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one.

Postecoglou's side have also impressed in the Champions League qualifiers, beating Midtjylland and AZ Alkmaar to reach the group stage.

The Australian coach believes Celtic's good form will give them confidence against Real Madrid.

Postecoglou: "We're in the best place we can be"

"We're in the best place we can be ahead of the game," Postecoglou said.

"The players are in good form, the atmosphere in the squad is good and we're looking forward to the challenge.

"We know Real Madrid are a world-class team, but we're not going to fear them. We're going to go out there and play our own game.

"We believe we can make an impact in this group and we're excited to get started."

Celtic will need to be at their best to get a result against Real Madrid

Celtic will need to be at their best to get a result against Real Madrid, who are one of the best teams in the world.

However, Postecoglou believes his side have the quality to compete with the Spanish giants.

"We know it's going to be a tough game, but we're confident in our own ability," Postecoglou said.

"We have a good team and we're playing well at the moment. We're going to go out there and give it our best shot.

"We're not going to go into the game thinking we can't win. We're going to go out there and try to get the three points.

"We know it's going to be a difficult task, but we're up for the challenge."