Reigning Premiership champions Celtic will be looking to progress into the next round of the UEFA Champions League when they take on Hungarian outfit Ferencvarosi on Wednesday evening. The fixture is set to take place at Celtic Park and will be the last Champions League match of the evening to kick off. The European minnows recently started their league campaign back home as well, and are coming into this fixture on the back of a disappointing draw. They secured progress to this round of the competition by beating Djurgarden by a 2-0 scoreline.
Celtic, on the other hand, are coming into this fixture with a league win in the bag from last weekend. A late goal by summer signing Albian Ajeti proved to be the difference between the Celts and Dundee United on the night, and it’s safe to say that they will be looking for the win this time around as well. The Hoops’ last European clash saw them comfortably get past the challenge set by Icelandic outfit KR Reykjavik, who were given a proper run-around by a truly rampant Celtic team.
Team News
Albian Ajeti’s winner against Dundee United last weekend must be branded as the ideal introduction as a new player joining the Parkhead club. Not only did his reactive finish win over the hearts of the Celtic faithful, but it also ensured that the champions didn’t drop any more unwarranted points. Kristoffer Ajer and James Forrest were both rested by Lennon on the weekend, and the pair of them likely return to the starting eleven this time around. With no real injury concerns to deal with, the Celtic squad does seem to be in a pretty strong position.
Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Ferencvarosi:
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Ferencvarosi
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Vasilis Barkas has been nothing short of a brick wall in between the sticks for Celtic since making the switch from AEK Athens this summer. Not only has he made some important saves along the way, but the Greek stopper also looks supremely comfortable with the ball at his feet. In front of him, expect to see Kristoffer Ajer returning to the side for this tie. Christopher Jullien is likely to partner up with the Norwegian in the heart of the defence, with the usual suspects Jeremie Frimpong and Greg Taylor taking up the full-back roles.
Midfield
Scott Brown has been a perpetual presence in the side since the start of the campaign, and the chances of the skipper being dropped for this European fixture are looking extremely bleak. The experience and collectedness he adds to the midfield area cannot be underplayed, and his presence offers an added degree of security to the defenders behind him as well. Callum McGregor is responsible for linking up the play and ensuring that the ball doesn’t stop moving from side to side at any point in the tie.
Attack
French midfielder Olivier Ntcham was given a rare start by Lennon on the weekend when he was deployed in the number ten role. Despite not playing too badly, the midfielder struggled to get into the game and is expected to be replaced in the role by Ryan Christie for this tie. What this means is that James Forrest is likely to return to the eleven to take up the right-wing slot that Christie is set to vacate. With Mohamed Elyounoussi operating on the other flank, Odsonne Edouard is likely to continue as the main striker in Neil Lennon’s setup.
