Wilfried Nancy’s side will be looking to strengthen their position in the play-off spots as they host Italian side Roma, who themselves sit in a similar place in the standings.It has been a challeng...
Wilfried Nancy’s side will be looking to strengthen their position in the play-off spots as they host Italian side Roma, who themselves sit in a similar place in the standings.
It has been a challenging season for Celtic, but the prospect of reaching the Europa League knockout stages offers a timely opportunity for Nancy and his squad.
After slipping out of the qualifying places following a 3–1 defeat away to Midtjylland, Celtic reclaimed their position with an identical scoreline against Dutch giants Feyenoord at De Kuip.
Falling behind early on suggested their European campaign might be slipping away, yet goals from Hyun-Jun Yang, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren saw Martin O’Neill’s side produce an impressive comeback to restore their hopes.
Now with Nancy at the helm, the Hoops will be aiming to cement themselves more firmly in the knockout places amid fierce competition and a congested league phase.
Before O’Neill’s departure, Celtic had won five straight matches in all competitions and cut Hearts’ domestic lead to a single point. Nancy did oversee a home defeat to the Premiership leaders on Sunday, but with limited time to implement his ideas, Thursday’s European test should offer a clearer indication of how his Celtic will look moving forward.
Roma arrive in Glasgow having recently beaten Celtic’s city rivals Rangers, and could become the first club in 12 seasons to defeat both Glasgow sides away from home in the same European campaign.
The last to achieve that feat was Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Heading into Thursday’s meeting, Roma sit two points above Celtic after finally securing their first win of the Europa League campaign against FC Midtjylland.
Goals from Neil El Aynaoui and Stephan El Shaarawy lifted the Giallorossi to 15th in the standings. Although they fell to defeat against Cagliari at the weekend, confidence will remain high following that European victory, with this fixture potentially pivotal for both clubs’ knockout ambitions.
Celtic also have a League Cup final looming at the weekend, giving Nancy a difficult balancing act as he considers his selection against the former Conference League champions.
The Hoops remain without Marcelo Saracchi due to a hamstring issue, while long-term absentees Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Cameron Carter-Vickers remain sidelined. Veteran winger James Forrest has only just returned to training and is unlikely to feature.
Roma, meanwhile, will again be without Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, who continues to recover from a thigh problem. However, José Mourinho’s side will be boosted by the return of Brazilian right-back Wesley, who is expected to be fit enough to start. Either Paulo Dybala or Tommaso Baldanzi is likely to lead the line in Dovbyk’s absence.
Predicted Line-Ups
Category: General Sports
