Celtic will host FC Copenhagen in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 32 tie on Thursday, and we take a shot at predicting the starting XI.
When Celtic travelled to Copenhagen to take on their foes, the Hoops looked phenomenal in the first half and fell apart in the second half. The result was a 1-1 draw in which the Hoops could have won 3-0 if they would have continued their pace of play.
The 4-2-3-1 formation was employed during the away leg, and it made sense. Hoops manager Neil Lennon had used that formation throughout much of their previous European competition and it helped seem them through the Europa League Group Stage with ease against opponents like Lazio, Rennes, and CFR Cluj.
However, Neil Lennon has alluded to a possible return to the two up front formation during his weekly press conference. It would make sense to return to this formation, as they have found great success with it the last few weeks.
By switching to this formation there will be a few big changes. The first is that Jeremie Frimpong will be left out despite his electric presence on the field. With Jeremie Frimpong on the sidelines, James Forrest will get the call. This one is as close to a no-brainer as it gets. Forrest’s experience in European matches, coupled with his leadership on the pitch make him a near-lock now that he is fit.
The biggest change will be the return of Scott Brown. He has been missed the last couple of days, but seems ready to go. His leadership and direction will play a large part in helping this squad see it way through to the final-16.
Here is our predicted starting XI:
GK- Fraser Forster
RCB- Jozo Simunovic
LCB- Kristoffer Ajer
RWB- James Forrest
CM- Scott Brown
CM- Callum McGregor
CM- Tom Rogic
LWB- Greg Taylor
ST- Leigh Griffiths
ST- Odsonne Edouard