Real Madrid cruised their way to a 5-1 win over Celtic to top their Champions League group. The two early penalties settled any nerves that might have been there and then, Los Blancos outplayed their opponents in the second half. The Scottish fans did have a tremendous free-kick from Jota to cheer for though, as the visitors got a consolation late on.
It might have been just another win for Real Madrid, who were heavy favourites coming into the game, but it was a big one for Carlo Ancelotti and his standing as one of the greatest managers of all-time.
He has often not gotten the respect that he deserves, despite his brilliant successes at clubs like Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG and others. But records cannot be argued with. And the 5-1 win was Ancelotti’s 103rd in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson, who has 102 victories to his name in Europe’s elite competition.
Of course, there is a bit of controversy about the fact as one of those 103 wins was awarded by UEFA in the 2004-05 derby with Inter Milan, when the opposition fans threw fireworks onto the pitch and forced the game to be stopped. A win is a win in the history books though.
Real Madrid boss Ancelotti breaks Ferguson’s record in the Champions League
It goes without saying that this is a huge achievement for Ancelotti and one that he should be very proud of.
No other manager has won more games in the Champions League than him. Just think about what kind of territory that takes up.
The Italian is truly one of the best managers of all-time, even though he might not have gotten the credit that he deserves. His second stint at Real Madrid has been a bit of a celebration of his qualities though. Long may it continue.