Celtic land huge draw with Real Madrid in Champions League – but face long trip to Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F

CELTIC have learned their fate for the Champions League group stage – which includes a clash with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The Scottish champions were put into Pot 4 for this evening’s draw.

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Celtic are making a return to the Champions League group stagesCredit: KENNY RAMSAY

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James Forrest helped seal Celtic’s place in the group stages of the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty

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Ange Postecoglou’s troops will face Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk

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Celtic will be playing Champions League football for the first time in four yearsCredit: REUTERS

And that meant they were guaranteed to be pitted against some of the European big boys.

So it proved as the Hoops fell into Group F with Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fans of the Glasgow club were quick to comment on the tough draw, with one saying: “Not bad at all!”

Another said: “That’s more than capable of finishing 2nd bhoys HWFG.”

And another said: “Absolutely buzzing.”

One chimed in: “Pumping.”

“We can do them all. Bring it! Hail Hail my Bhoys.”

Due to the World Cup in November, the six matches are crammed into three blocks of back-to-back gameweeks.

Those will be played on September 6/7 and 13/14, October 4/5 and 11/12 then October 25/26 and November 1/2.

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Celtic’s away clash with Shakhtar will take place in Poland due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

Celtic’s return to the Champions League group stages is their first campaign in Europe’s elite club competition since the 2017-18 season.

In that season, the 1967 European champions had Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

They conceded a whopping 17 goals in the four matches against the two heavyweights.

Celtic won the Scottish Premiership last year, wrestling the title back from arch-rivals Rangers.

The Hoops had a spectacular run of 26 wins and five draws from their final 31 games of the campaign.

Ange Postecoglou has bolstered his squad with the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Moritz Jenz and Sead Haksabanovic.

Meanwhile ex-Huddersfield and Brighton playmaker Aaron Mooy arrived on a free.

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