After back-to-back defeats, Celtic return today for the second leg of their Europa League play-off clash against VfB Stuttgart. It was a 4-1 defeat for Martin O'Neill's side in the first leg, and they'll be hoping to keep the scoreline down this time on the road.
Following their showing in Glasgow, Stuttgart returned to Germany and were part of a thrilling 3-3 draw with FC Heidenheim. This keeps their record in their last five looking good, with a draw, a loss and three wins.
Celtic didn't immediately bounce back from the mid-week defeat though, as they were beaten 2-1 by Hibernian at Parkhead last weekend. It was a terrible game for the Hoops that saw Auston Trusty receive a red after a VAR check ruled violent conduct, and it was made no better by Celtic being denied a blatant penalty.
With all that said, the performance was bad, and supporters don't have high hopes for the return leg of the Europa League tonight. The Stuttgart manager said in his post-match press conference last time out though that although his team have the advantage, he won't rule O'Neill's side out.
Could Celtic pull off the near impossible?
Predicted Celtic XI for Stuttgart away
Despite lots of debate over whether he should keep his starting spot, it's safe to say that O'Neill trusts Kasper Schmeichel. However, we think that the manager could rotate and will start Viljami Sinisalo instead.
We predict that Dane Murray will start alongside Auston Trusty. Remember, Trusty's three-match ban only applies to the Scottish Premiership, meaning he is eligible and available in Europe. We pick Murray over Scales because, with O'Neill leaving Julian Aurajo at home, that could indicate that he is thinking of slight rotation to keep players fit for the derby. With Scales likely to be partnered alongside Benjamin Arthur for that one, he may want to make sure the Irishman is ready to go.
Aurajo has been a shining star for Celtic this season; however, as mentioned, disappointing news broke yesterday that he has not travelled with the squad for this one. He doesn't seem to be injured, meaning that he is likely being rested in preparation for the game against Rangers.
So, in the full back positions, Anthony Ralston will likely start on the right, with Kieran Tierney starting on the left. Tierney was criticised for his performance against Stuttgart last time out, but we think the manager will play him over Marcelo Saracchi.
In the middle of the park, Callum McGregor, Luke McCowan and Reo Hatate could all play. Paulo Bernardo was chosen to complete the midfield three last time out, but he failed to perform. Hatate, on the other hand, came off the bench and seemed really up for it, and that may have been enough to convince O'Neill. We're selecting McCowan over Nygren with the suspicion that the manager will rotate.
Up front, Sebastian Tounekti, James Forrest, and Junior Adamu. Our prediction is based on the fact that we suspect O'Neill will rotate, meaning that he may save the likes of Daizen Maeda and Yang with the knowledge that they'll play in the derby. Yang could start though as when he made a cameo last time, he really impressed and showed why he deserves that spot. We think Adamu will get his first European start for the Celts.
Sinisalo (GK)
Ralston (RB), Trusty (CB), Murray (CB), Tierney (LB)
McCowan (CM), McGregor (CM), Hatate (CM)
Forrest (RW), Adamu (ST), Tounekti (LW)
Maybe we're being hopeful, but it would be a good idea to rotate. It would be a plot twist that no one saw coming, but it could end up being worth it if Celtic come away from Ibrox with a crucial victory.
How could the match go?
Sadly, we suspect that even if Celtic play their strongest squad, this is going to be a very difficult tie on the road. Stuttgart are in good form, and they will be extremely positive off the back of their 4-1 aggregate lead.
With that being said, there is a chance they could become complacent because of that. If they are, the Celts will need to capitalise on it, and quickly.
Our prediction is Stuttgart 3 - 1 Celtic.