Atletico Madrid superstar Jan Oblak praises Celtic player

Celtic impressed a lot of people with their performance against Atletico Madrid in their earlier meeting in the Champions League. Brendan Rodgers’ side took the lead twice against the Spanish giants and finished the game with the opposition down to ten men. But they unfortunately could not get what would have been a famous victory in Europe.

They showed though that on their day they are capable of competing with a team like Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side have been one of the most in-form in Europe this season and yet, they could only get a 2-2 draw against the Scottish champions.

The two teams will meet again. And this time around, the Hoops will not have the Parkhead crowd behind them, as it will be in the Spanish capital.

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, recently gave his thoughts on the matter. He also had some special praise for his Celtic counterpart Joe Hart.

Atletico Madrid superstar praises Celtic player

As reported by Glasgow Times, Oblak said:

"“The match in Glasgow was rare. We dominated but only got one point. Celtic are a good team, champions of Scotland, so they get maximum respect.“[Joe] Hart is a top goalkeeper, it’s not easy to beat him. Scottish clubs are always difficult to play against in their own stadiums.“But this match in Madrid will be different. They arrive here with a bit of tension because they can’t afford another defeat in the group.“That might just be perfect for us as it will allow us to play our natural game.”"

It will be very interesting to see how Celtic do away in the Spanish capital against Simeone’s side. It could very well be the toughest test that they end up facing this season.

But at the same time, it will be a good test for them, and the players should improve through the experience. There are quite a few who are getting their first taste of this level right now and these nights are what it is all about when it comes to Europe.

Let’s see how Celtic end up doing. Oblak is right in saying that Celtic cannot afford another defeat in the group. They are yet to win a game in the Champions League this season. And if they are to remain in Europe beyond Christmas, they will need to get a result away at the Metropolitano Stadium.