On Thursday, October 23, Celtic will face Austrian team Sturm Graz in the third round of the UEFA Europa League. The match starts at 21:00 CET. Here are the details of the encounter.
Celtic vs Sturm Graz: Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Celtic has won just one of their last five matches.
- Sturm Graz is on a four-match winning streak.
- Celtic has lost only once at home in their last ten games.
- Sturm Graz has lost one of their last six away matches.
- Celtic has conceded two goals in each of their last three matches.
- Sturm Graz has scored at least once in their last four games.
- Nearly half of Sturm Graz’s wins this season have been by clean sheets, whereas Celtic has kept a clean sheet in 29% of their matches.
- Sturm Graz has scored in both halves in 40% of their matches this season, while Celtic has done so in 29%.
- The two teams have met only once before, with Celtic winning 1–0.
Celtic vs Sturm Graz: Match Preview
Celtic’s start to the season has been uneven, both in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League. The team is currently second in the domestic league with 17 points from eight matches, five points behind Hearts. In Europe, they drew 1–1 with Crvena Zvezda in their first game but lost 0–2 at home to Braga in the second, leaving them with only one point after two matches. Overall, they have secured just one win in their last five matches.
In contrast, Sturm Graz is performing well, enjoying a four-match winning streak. They lead the Austrian Bundesliga with 21 points from nine games, three points ahead of second place with a match in hand. In the Europa League, Sturm started with a 0–2 loss to Midtjylland but bounced back with a 2–1 win over Rangers. Now, they will compete against another Scottish team, this time away from home.
Probable Lineups
- Celtic: Schmeichel; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Engels, McGregor, McCowan; Forrest, Iheanacho, Tounekti
- Sturm Graz: Bignetti; Oermann, Aiwu, Lavalee, Karic; Horvat, Gorenc-Stankovic, Chukwuani; Kiteishvili; Malone, Jatta
Prediction
Celtic has struggled with consistency, while Sturm Graz is in great form. However, being at home, Celtic will aim to turn things around. I believe they can secure a win in this match.