Celtic will host Club Brugge at Celtic Park on Wednesday evening in a pivotal UEFA Champions League clash, as the Scottish champions aim to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stages against a Belgian side that have been riddled with inconsistency this term.
The hosts are currently 15th in the table with seven points from four games, while the visitors are placed in 22nd with six points from their opening four outings.
Match preview
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Celtic have enjoyed a sensational start to the 2024-25 season, losing just once in 19 matches across all competitions while racking up 16 wins and two draws.
That sole defeat came in their 10th outing of the campaign, a humbling 7-1 loss away to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two of the Champions League, which shattered their early-season momentum after nine consecutive wins.
Brendan Rodgers shouldered plenty of criticism for refusing to change from his expansive, open style of play after that humiliating loss, but his side have since silenced the doubters with an impressive run of results.
The Bhoys have gone on to secure seven wins and two draws, highlighted by a historic 0-0 draw against Atalanta for their first European clean sheet away in seven years, a dominant 6-0 win over then-unbeaten Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup semi-final and a 3-1 victory over Leipzig on matchday four of the Champions League.
Those results in Europe, combined with a club record 5-1 win against Slovan Bratislava, leave Celtic 15th in the table with seven points, and they will be targeting another three crucial points here to boost their chances of qualifying for the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since 2012-13, when they were eliminated by Juventus 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16.
After failing to win at Celtic Park for 12 successive Champions League fixtures, between 2013 and 2023, they have now won each of their last three home matches in Europe's most prestigious competition, and the Bhoys will be hoping for a bouncing atmosphere to help them get over the line with the victory on Wednesday.
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Club Brugge may have been riddled with inconsistency throughout the opening stages of their campaign, but they certainly have the quality to threaten Celtic in this one.
The Belgian champions started their season without a win in their first four across all competitions, losing three and drawing one, before finally putting together a run of four successive wins in the league.
However, a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund saw them slip into a period of struggle, winning only two of their next seven games, losing three and drawing two, but they have since recovered, heading into this match on their strongest run of results this season.
The Blue-Black have won five and drawn one of their last six, including a commanding 7-0 demolition of Sint-Truidense VV in their last fixture, leaving them full of confidence heading into this one.
Nicky Hayen's side have already shown their pedigree on the continent, defeating Aston Villa 1-0 in their last Champions League match thanks to a penalty from Hans Vanaken, awarded after a bizarre handball by Tyrone Mings.
Team News
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Odin Thiago Holm is expected to be the only absentee for Celtic, with the midfielder sidelined since early November due to a calf injury that is likely to keep him out until early next month.
Rodgers has assembled a strong squad for this season, enabling plenty of rotation between matches, and with no fresh injury concerns heading into this one, the Bhoys could field the same side that dismantled Hearts on Saturday.
Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn has made an impressive start to the season for Celtic, with 11 goals and 11 assists in 18 appearances across all competitions, including scoring in each of his last four matches, making him the likely danger man once again here.
As for Brugge, Bjorn Meijer is out until at least December with a thigh injury, while Gustaf Nilsson will be sidelined until the new year due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Elsewhere, Ferran Jutgla and Andreas Skov Olsen were rested for parts of the 7-0 win last time out, while Joel Ordonez was rested for the duration, but all three are likely to return to the starting team here.
Christos Tzolis brilliantly netted four goals in that victory, bringing his season total to eight, and Brugge will likely look to him to make the difference once again in this one.
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda
Club Brugge possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Jashari; Skov Olsen, Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla
We say: Celtic 3-1 Club Brugge
Aside from their defeat to Borussia Dortmund, Celtic have been near flawless this season, and with the charged atmosphere at Celtic Park supporting them, they are likely to secure a win in this matchup.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
