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November 4 2024, 01:51 · Alex Lawes

Celtic vs RB Leipzig Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

Celtic vs RB Leipzig Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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Brendan Rodgers and Celtic had the task of actually making a mark in Europe this season and they have done thus far. Their second game at Celtic Park of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League comes against Bundesliga high flyers RB Leipzig. 

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 5th November, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

CELTIC PREVIEW: BUOYANT BHOYS

As mentioned, the big task for Celtic this season was to get serious in the UEFA Champions League after a decade or more of underperformance. The Bhoys started their campaign with a 5-1 hammering of Slovan Bratislava before losing 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund but their most recent outing in Europe saw them share a goalless draw with Atalanta in Bergamo.

The Scottish champions have been given a reasonably ‘easy’, for want of a better phrase, set of fixtures with their games after facing Leipzig in Glasgow being against Young Boys, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa. They won’t necessarily see this as a free hit against Leipzig and they know they can really ease the pressure in the coming months with a surprise result. 

RB LEIPZIG PREVIEW: RELENTLESS RB

Marco Rose is in charge of an RB Leipzig side that, if they suffer that aforementioned surprise defeat at Celtic Park, may well begin to completely turn their attention away from the UEFA Champions League and onto a Bundesliga title charge. That is because they have started their UEFA Champions League season with three successive defeats.

They started with a last gasp loss to Atletico Madrid before suffering defeat to Juventus when leading late on and then losing 1-0 to Liverpool after dominating proceedings in that game. In contrast, Leipzig have been excellent in the Bundesliga but did give up a lead at Borussia Dortmund at the weekend to fall behind Bayern Munich at the top-of-the-table. 

CELTIC TEAM NEWS: FULLY FIT

Over the summer, Celtic brought in a bit of quality ahead of launching a serious assault on European competition with the arrivals of the likes of Arne Engels and Adam Idah.

Rodgers is blessed with a fully fit and available squad for this one so they can name their strongest eleven with no injury concerns or suspension issues. 

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Maeda, Furuhashi

UNAVAILABLE: 

QUESTIONABLE: 

RB LEIPZIG TEAM NEWS: XAVI SIMONS’ INJURY

Since last playing in Europe, RB Leipzig have been dealt the blow of losing key attacker Xavi Simons due to an ankle injury likely to see him absent until the New Year.

Austria international Xaver Schlager is dealing with an ACL injury and he sidelined for Leipzig alongside the likes of Castello Lukeba and David Raum. 

PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Henrichs, Klostermann, Orban, Geertruida; Baumgartner, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Openda, Sesko

UNAVAILABLE: Lukeba (Injured), Raum (Injured), Schlager (Injured), Simons (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

KEY STATS

  • Celtic have won their last two home matches in the UEFA Champions League proper. They have not won three successive home matches in the competition proper since the 2007/08 group stage.
  • Celtic have won only one of their last 16 UEFA competition matches against German teams (D3 L12). They have lost five in a row since a 2-1 home victory against Leipzig in the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League group stage.
  • Celtic’s Kasper Schmeichel (38 on 05/11/24) and Greg Taylor (27 on 05/11/24) both celebrate their birthday on this day of this match. Schmeichel is set to equal the record set by David Seaman as the oldest player to make a birthday appearance in the UEFA Champions League proper. Seaman turned 38 years old on the day of Arsenal’s 3-2 home win against Schalke in September 2001. The last Celtic player to feature in the competition proper on his birthday was Charlie Mulgrew (27 years old) in a 2-0 defeat against Juventus on 6 March 2013.
  • Celtic have scored 348 goals in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (including qualifying).
  • Leipzig have won three of their previous four UEFA competition matches against Celtic (L1). They won 3-1 at home and 2-0 away when the pair met most recently in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage
  • Leipzig have lost four and drawn one of their last five UEFA Champions League matches.
  • Yussuf Poulsen is set to become the second player to reach the landmark of 40 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper for Leipzig, after Emil Forsberg who left the club with 41 appearances to his name.

CELTIC VS RB LEIPZIG PREDICTION

Celtic hammered Aberdeen by six goals to nil at Hampden Park at the weekend in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup, setting up an Old Firm Derby final against Rangers next month. Domestically they are dominant, despite the remarkable start to the season for Aberdeen, and they will fancy their chances of taking the game to Leipzig, However, despite poor form in Europe, a defeat at the weekend and some key injuries, Leipzig are still firm favourites to grind out a result at Parkhead. 

CELTIC VS RB LEIPZIG TIP: RB LEIPZIG TO WIN & UNDER 3.5 GOALS