Carter-Vickers ready to rise to the big occasion

How Celtic compete against such elevated company will be intriguing.

Postecoglou has never made any secret of the fact he recoils from pragmatism as though it were an adder at his feet but the likes of Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Luka Modric carry a menace and venom that can devastate.

Cameron Carter-Vickers will be central to keeping the swashbuckling Madrid at bay. This summer there were multiple calls from Celtic players about the excitement that would surround a game against Real Madrid but the reality and magnitude of the test as it comes into sharp focus may well afford a different perspective.

The United States internationalist, however, is confident about how Celtic will approach the challenge.

“We will go out there and try to play the way we always do,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much point in trying to change it because we are not used to playing a different way. If we suddenly changed we wouldn’t play as well. So we need to try to impose our style on the game and go from there.

“For the majority of us this will be our first experience of the Champions League and these are the games we all want to play in. I am excited for it. It’s important for us not just to be in but to compete.

“Of course there’s risk. To use that squeezing of the pitch as an example, we need to be wary of the fact they have such good players at the top of the pitch. So there has to be a balance. You need to push up at the right times but also be ready to drop when required. But if we can be brave and do that then it will definitely benefit us.”

While few would fancy Celtic’s chances, it is a stadium that has relished its David v Goliath nights, particularly in the Champions League. If the 2-1 win over Barcelona in 2012 is the epitome of landing an unlikely bloody nose, there have been others: Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, AC Milan, Manchester United and Ajax all found Celtic a harder proposition that they ought to be.

And while Saturday afternoon afforded a reminder of the pulsating atmosphere that Celtic Park can create when 60,000 roar as one, gladiatorial players who perform on the biggest of stages are likely to be encouraged rather than intimidated by such noise. Still, it is an energy for all to feed upon. “The crowd will help us,” he said. “The atmosphere in the stadium will be electric and we will feed off that and play to the best of our ability.”

Whether Carter-Vickers has much opportunity to pay heed to the atmosphere is another story. He will need eyes on the back of his head to cope with the persistent threat of Real Madrid with UEFA Player of the Year and imminent Ballon d’Or winner Benzema in particular perhaps the cause of sleepless night between now and Tuesday.

“I’m definitely excited to be going up against someone like him,” he said. “You want to play against the very best and he is someone at the very top of the game. Even before I started playing professionally I watched him playing for Madrid in the Champions League and winning it. He has been doing it for so long which tells you the level.”

There could be few criticisms about the manner in which Celtic have started their domestic campaign. If Saturday’s win puts them in the optimum frame of mind for the game, last season’s Europa League campaign will reinforce the message that the chasm between domestic and European football can be an exacting bridge to cross.

“We probably need to be a little bit cleverer in our defending, our press and our team shape,” said Carter-Vickers. “But look at the two Leverkusen games as examples. This sounds silly but although we lost 4-0 in the home game I thought we did all right. Their goalkeeper made a few saves that night.

“The away game was much closer. OK, we lost 3-2 but we went 2-1 up which shows that we are able to adapt and improve on our performances.”