Celtic will be desperate to secure their first Europa League victory of the campaign when they host Austrian champions Sturm Graz at Celtic Park on Thursday evening.
Both sides will be looking to climb the Europa League standings, with Celtic currently languishing in 28th position while Sturm Graz occupy 22nd place after two matchdays.
Celtic vs Sturm Graz – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 23 October 2025
- Kick-off: 8:00 pm BST
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
Team News
Celtic
Daizen Maeda’s fitness will be assessed before making a final decision about whether he will be involved. The Japanese winger, who scored 33 goals last season, has been a key player for Brendan Rodgers but has managed only three goals this campaign.
Following the disappointing 2-0 loss to Dundee at the weekend, Rodgers is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup. James Forrest, Arne Engels and Michel Ange Balikwisha could all feature, with Kelechi Iheanacho likely to lead the line again after starting the last two matches. The Nigerian striker has three goals this season, including Celtic’s only Europa League goal so far in the 1-1 draw with Red Star Belgrade. However, his potential equaliser against Braga was controversially ruled out for handball, despite replays appearing to show the ball struck his face.
Sturm Graz
Sturm Graz travel to Glasgow on the back of an impressive run of form, having won their last four matches across all competitions. Their most recent victory was a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Blau-Weiss Linz, with Otar Kiteishvili scoring an 87th-minute winner.
However, the visitors face a major concern over goalkeeper Oliver Christensen’s availability. The on-loan Fiorentina keeper suffered a muscular problem during Sunday’s match and was replaced in the 57th minute. Manager Jürgen Säumel initially hoped the Dane would recover in time, but Monday’s MRI scan revealed the injury is worse than initially thought, putting his participation in serious jeopardy.
If Christensen is ruled out, Matteo Bignetti is expected to start between the posts. Säumel praised his deputy’s performance after coming on against Linz, saying: “He did a really good job again. He came into a game that was on a knife-edge, displayed calm and composure, and played very well”.
Belmin Beganovic, Daniil Khudyakov and Oliver Christensen are all injury concerns for the Austrian side.
Otar Kiteishvili has been in sensational form, scoring eight goals in 11 appearances this season across all competitions. The Georgian international was on target in Sturm’s memorable 2-1 victory over Rangers on Matchday 2, alongside Tomi Horvat, who opened the scoring after just seven minutes.
Form
Celtic
Brendan Rodgers’ side has endured a difficult period, winning just one of their last five matches across all competitions. The Hoops drew 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade in their Europa League opener before suffering a 2-0 home defeat to Braga. Domestically, they’ve lost crucial ground in the Scottish Premiership, sitting five points behind leaders Hearts after their shock 2-0 loss at Dundee.
The defeat at Dens Park ended Celtic’s remarkable 37-year unbeaten run against Dundee in all competitions and marked their first league loss of the season. Clark Robertson’s header and a Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal condemned the champions to a damaging defeat, with the match delayed at kick-off due to fan protests against the club’s board.
Despite their poor form, Celtic’s home record remains relatively strong this season, having lost just once at Celtic Park across all competitions. However, that solitary defeat came against Braga in the Europa League, raising concerns about their ability to perform on European nights.
Sturm Graz
Sturm Graz are flying high. The Austrian champions have won their last four matches and sit top of the Austrian Bundesliga table with 21 points from nine games, three points clear of RB Salzburg.
After losing 2-0 away to Midtjylland in their Europa League opener, Sturm bounced back with an impressive 2-1 victory over Rangers at the Merkur Arena. Goals from Horvat and Kiteishvili in the first half secured a memorable win that announced their credentials in the competition.
Their most recent triumph was a dramatic 4-3 away victory at Blau-Weiss Linz, with goals from Tochi Chukwuani, Maurice Malone, Leon Grgić and Kiteishvili. However, manager Säumel warned his players they must improve defensively after surrendering a 3-1 lead.
The Austrian side’s major weakness is their away form in European competition. They have lost their last six European away matches, failing to score in the last three. This includes a 5-0 hammering at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League play-offs.
Predicted 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.
How to watch Celtic vs Sturm Graz
UK fans can watch the game live on TNT Sports 2.
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