At Celtic Park, Real Madrid's players proved they are more than just physically fit for this opening phase of the 2022–23 season.

At the beginning of the season, Los Blancos received praise for destroying their opponents in the second half with a physical display and unstoppable speed. This is true.

However, you can't just win by being fresher than your opponent. Talent has to prevail as well. That's how Real Madrid won the last Champions League. By bursts at the end, but also by knowing how to play with restraint and patience, with effective minutes on the ball. You only have to remember the first half at Stamford Bridge, for example.

In Glasgow, Real Madrid opened the scoring with a goal that was preceded by a beautiful move, in which up to 22 passes were exchanged and which ended with a beautiful one-two between Valverde and Eden Hazard, including a backheel, and a precise pass from the Uruguayan midfielder to Vinicius Junior, who scored in clinical fashion. But, if the first goal was a collective move of many carats, the third was a work of art.

Carlo Ancelotti's team exchanged up to 33 passes without the opposition even had a chance to touch the ball. They combined from almost inside the opponent's box to the back, then started again, playing from one flank to the other, until Toni Kroos went forward and Dani Carvajal served it to Hazard on a plate. According to Opta, this sequence was the longest for Los Blancos in the Champions League since at least 2003/04.