Losing 3-0 at home in your first Champions League game would normally dent your confidence.
But not when the defeat comes at the hands of Europe’s best. Not when you’ve gone toe-to-toe with Real Madrid for an hour before eventually succumbing to some world superstars. And not when one of them, Luka Modric, leaves your ground full of praise for the performance. That’s why Celtic full-back – and his Croatia team-mate – Josip Juranovic isn’t scared of anyone in the competition.
It’s why, when he returns to Warsaw on Wednesday night to play Shakhtar Donetsk in the Hoops’ second Group F clash, he won’t just settle for a point. Juranovic wants all three to get Ange Postecoglou ’s side back in contention to qualify for the knock-out phase. Donetsk hammered RB Leipzig in their opening fixture last week – so it won’t be easy. But after competing with Carlo Ancelotti’s current champions, the 27-year-old full-back fears no-one. Especially after being handed compliments by pal Modric in the aftermath. The little magician stamped his class all over Parkhead on Tuesday night before telling Juranovic about Celtic’s quality.
That’s why he’s convinced that Postecoglou’s men can take something off the Ukrainians. He said: “I spoke with Luka after the game on Tuesday. He told me that the crowd was amazing and that we played very well, especially in the first half. He said we need to continue to play like that.
“What can I say? He’s captain of my national team, a really good person – and you saw in the game that he’s a really good player too. We had our chances against them but we didn’t score and, of course, it’s Real Madrid. When you don’t take your chances against them, they’ll get one and score immediately.
“But if we take that first half into our next game, there’s so much positivity from that. We’ve had a really good start to the season so our confidence is high.
“And especially after the first-half performance against Madrid, if we continue like that, we’ll take some points in the Champions League. Then confidence is still high. We will continue to fight for second place in this group. And if we perform like we did in that first half against Madrid, we don’t need to be scared. Do we need at least a point against Shakhtar? Why just a point? We want to get three.”
Warsaw, where Shakhtar are playing their home games due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is close to Juranovic’s heart after spending a year at Legia before his move to Celtic last summer.
In his final game for the club, he scored a screamer against Slavia Prague in a Europa League qualifier. Just days later, he signed for the Hoops in a £2.5million deal. He’s looking forward to going back to Poland and joked that the city’s natives will turn out to see him. Despite having belief in Celtic’s ability to get a win, he won’t take Donetsk lightly.
Juranovic said: “It’s back to Warsaw for me and we’ll prepare ourselves for that match. It’s now my third home city so I’m looking forward to it – but we want three points. Maybe the fans will come out because of me!
“But we will have our own fans with us in the stadium and in our minds. Because after the Real Madrid game, we need to give them something on Wednesday. We will speak with the manager and see what we need to do.
“Shakhtar won 4-1 in their first match but that’s the Champions League. Every team is a good team – that’s why we are there.
“In my last match for Legia, I scored against Slavia Prague away – maybe I can take another chance this week.” On the other side of Celtic’s defence, Greg Taylor is experiencing his first taste of Champions League football.
He was given an acid test against Real Madrid wide man Federico Valverde, who set up the Spaniards’ opener for
Vinicius Jnr. Taylor admits the step up in level was an eye opener for Celtic and proof that Postecoglou’s side still have plenty to work on.
But the Scottish left-back is adamant that they won’t change their style even going away to face Shakhtar.
He said: “There were lots of lessons for us to learn on Tuesday night, lots of improvements we can make as a team. The club and the players belong on this stage but it also shows that we’ve got a bit to go, as a group and as individuals.
“And I mean physically, technically, everything. Madrid are at a really high level. There are certainly improvements in my own game I need to make. I look at every game, good or bad. I analyse it with clips, no matter the result or performance.
“We can always get better so now we go on to Shakhtar.
“And we’ll play the only way we know. That’s how we’re coached and it’s definitely our best way of succeeding in competitions, whether that’s in the league, the cup or in Europe. That’s how we’ll aim to go into every game, with our philosophy.
“Hopefully on Wednesday night, the result can be better because I don’t think the Real Madrid performance was a million miles away.”
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