Besides maintaining their sheer supremacy in Scottish football, Celtic, under Brendan Rodgers, have rediscovered their lost charm in Europe. They held mighty Atalanta to a stalemate on the road before clinching a stellar 3-1 win against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League group phase encounter. The battle is on for a place in the knockouts, and the high-flying Hoops should extend their winning streak on Wednesday night against injury-ravaged Club Brugge.
The Blue-Black will be without two key individuals Bjorn Meijer and Gustaf Nilsson. Hugo Vetlesen and Hugo Siquet are also sidelined with unspecified injuries. But the emphatic 7-0 victory versus STVV this weekend in the Belgian Pro League must boost their spirit ahead of travelling to Parkhead for this crucial European encounter.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Club Brugge
Defence
Kasper Schmeichel was disappointed not to secure a clean sheet against Hearts on Saturday night. The veteran Dane spent last season at Anderlecht but claimed only one win in four ‘De Klassieker’ clashes. He must be determined to settle the score while hosting the champions of Belgium this midweek.
Rodgers transformed Liam Scales into a top-grade centre-half, but the Irishman lost his place lately to summer signing Auston Trusty. The USMNT international is expected to keep his place alongside fellow countryman Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of the backline. Alistair Johnston has been a revelation down the right, also, seasoned left fullback Greg Taylor should get the nod over Alex Valle despite the latter’s impressive run of form during the Scotsman’s injury absence.
Midfield
Celtic have ample depth and quality in the centre of the pitch. But they do not have a like-for-like replacement for skipper Callum McGregor who has been the standout performer over the years with his vision, technicality and aggression as a deep-lying playmaker. Arne Engels and Reo Hatate have shown their mastery as ‘number 8s’, and the pair are tipped to retain their starting status over Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan in the centre of the pitch.
Attack
Nicolas Kuhn is in incredible form as the German wideman scored in four back-to-back fixtures across competitions. Consistency is the key for Daizen Maeda who is irreplaceable down the left for his work rate and relentless runs. Adam Idah scored a brace against Hearts since coming on as a second-half substitute, but he could still feature as the understudy to Kyogo Furuhashi who broke the deadlock at Tynecastle minutes before the hour mark.
