Celtic will be keen to leapfrog their rivals AS Roma with a win when they face each other on Thursday night.
With qualification hopes hanging in the balance, Celtic and AS Roma collide at Celtic Park on Thursday night in a pivotal Europa League encounter. Both sides remain firmly in contention to reach the knockout rounds, yet neither holds a comfortable position heading into the penultimate stretch of the league phase. Only two points separate them, and victory for either could dramatically reshape the landscape.
Momentum has swung sharply for Celtic in Europe over the past fortnight. Their stirring 3-1 victory away at Feyenoord, achieved despite conceding inside six minutes, marked the club’s most complete continental performance in years. Goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate, and Benjamin Nygren not only secured a famous win in Rotterdam but also ensured Martin O’Neill bowed out of his interim spell in charge on a high.
During his brief but impactful return, Celtic rediscovered efficiency and grit, winning five consecutive Premiership matches while conceding only once, and punching their ticket to the League Cup final at the expense of arch-rivals Rangers.
Yet O’Neill’s handover to Wilfried Nancy has brought immediate challenges. The Frenchman, whose rise in MLS has drawn widespread admiration, was unable to open his tenure with a victory, falling 2-1 at home to Hearts in a match that exposed some early teething issues. Nancy is intent on reshaping Celtic structurally, introducing more fluidity between the lines. But implementing such ideas ahead of a defining European week is a formidable task. After Roma’s visit, Celtic must turn their focus to Sunday’s final against St Mirren, making this run one of the most demanding stretches of their season.
Celtic’s historical record against Italian opposition offers little encouragement: just two wins from their last 16 encounters, both notably coming against Lazio in the 201920 campaign. Against Roma, they enter unfamiliar territory, having never met the Gial orossi before in competitive action.
AS Roma, meanwhile, arrive in Glasgow with their European ambitions firmly alive but under mounting domestic pressure. Their 2 0 win over Rangers at Ibrox earlier in the campaign demonstrated their capacity to travel well against high-energy opponents, and another positive result in Glasgow would make them the first team in over a decade to beat both halves of the Old Firm away from home.
Fresh from collecting their 100th Europa League victory, a controlled 2-1 triumph over FC Midtjylland, Roma sit just outside the top eight, with progression well within reach. However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have hit turbulence in Serie A. Back-to-back defeats, culminating in a disappointing collapse against Cagliari that also saw Zeki Celik sent off, halted their brief stay at the top of the table and raised concerns over fatigue and squad balance.
Even so, Gasperini’s system continues to generate chances and control matches; the key question is whether Roma can rediscover the defensive discipline needed to withstand Celtic’s typically ferocious home atmosphere. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Celtic
Wilfried Nancy must once again navigate a sizeable injury list as Celtic prepare for a decisive Europa League night at Parkhead. Marcelo Saracchi remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Cameron Carter-Vickers continue their extended recoveries and will play no part on Thursday.
Veteran winger James Forrest has finally returned to training, but the match is expected to come too soon for him to feature. There are no suspensions in the squad, but rotation decisions may be influenced by the looming Scottish League Cup final.
Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren, both on two goals, enter the match as Celtic’s joint-highest scorers in this season’s Europa League and are expected to shoulder the creative burden again. Nancy’s side will seek to build on the attacking cohesion shown in Rotterdam, even as the squad remains stretched.
Celtic are anticipated to line up in Wilfried Nancy’s 3-4-2-1 system against AS Roma. In this structure, Kasper Schmeichel starts in goal behind a back three of Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, and Kieran Tierney, who are tasked with progressing possession while maintaining defensive balance. The wing-back roles are expected to be filled by Yang Hyun-jun on the right and Sebastian Tounekti on the left, providing width and high pressing.
Captain Callum McGregor partners Arne Engels in central midfield, anchoring build-up and recycling play. Ahead of them, Benjamin Nygren and Reo Hatate operate as dual attacking midfielders, linking transitions and supporting the lone striker, Daizen Maeda, who leads the line with his relentless movement and work rate.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Schmeichel; Trusty, Scales, Tierney; Yang, McGregor, Engels, Tounekti; Nygren, Hatate; Maeda
AS Roma
AS Roma travel to Glasgow to take on Celtic carrying an important absentee list, headlined by Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk, who remains unavailable due to a thigh injury that has sidelined him for several weeks. His continued absence limits Roma’s options in the final third, particularly when it comes to a traditional No. 9 presence.
Gian Piero Gasperini may also rotate his squad following back-to-back Serie A defeats and with another league match looming against Como on Monday. In more positive news, Brazilian wing-back Wesley is expected to return after a short spell on the sidelines. There are no suspensions in the squad, but Gasperini’s selection will reflect both tactical needs and recent form.
With Dovbyk ruled out, AS Roma lack a natural centre-forward, meaning Gasperini could deploy either Paulo Dybala or Tommaso Baldanzi as a false nine against Celtic. Evan Ferguson, the team’s conventional striker, has fallen down the pecking order and is unlikely to start. Creative influence will therefore come from deep and wide areas, placing greater responsibility on Roma’s attacking midfielders and wing-backs.
Roma are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Mile Svilar starts in goal, shielded by a back three of Daniele Ghilardi, Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka, who provide a balance of physicality, aggression and ball-playing ability. On the right flank, Zeki Celik operates as a wing-back, while Kostas Tsimikas fills the same role on the left, offering width and service into the penalty area.
In central midfield, Manu Kone and Neil El Aynaoui form the double pivot, tasked with setting the tempo and breaking up opposition transitions. Ahead of them, Matias Soule and Lorenzo Pellegrini occupy the advanced midfield positions, linking play and supporting the attack. Paulo Dybala is expected to lead the line as a false nine, drifting between the lines to orchestrate attacks.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Ndicka; Celik, Kone, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Soule, Pellegrini; Dybala
Key Stats
- Celtic have won only two of their last 16 matches against Italian opposition, with both victories coming against Lazio in the 2019/20 Europa League campaign.
- AS Roma recently earned their 100th win in UEFA’s second-tier competitions compared to Celtic’s more inconsistent continental record.
- Celtic have won five of their last six domestic games, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one before last weekend’s setback against Hearts.
- AS Roma have lost back-to-back league matches for the first time this year, coming into this fixture on the back of defeats against Rangers and Cagliari.
- AS Roma have scored in all but one of their Europa League games this season.
Player to Watch
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala enters this contest as Roma’s most decisive attacking force, and his influence will be central to any hopes the Giallorossi have of taking three points at Celtic Park. With Artem Dovbyk sidelined, the creative burden falls even more heavily on Dybala’s shoulders, whether he starts as a false nine or operates in the right-sided playmaking role behind the striker.
The Argentine maestro remains one of Europe’s most gifted technicians, capable of unlocking compact defensive structures with his vision, close control and trademark left-footed strikes. Dybala’s ability to drift into pockets of space between Celtic’s lines could exploit their three-man defensive shape, drawing out markers and creating channels for teammates like Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Set pieces will also be a key area where he can influence the game, as Celtic have shown vulnerabilities in defensive transitions and dead-ball situations. In a noisy, high-intensity Celtic Park environment, Roma will rely on Dybala’s experience, temperament and ability to produce moments of individual brilliance. If the Argentine finds rhythm early and receives enough service, he has the quality to tilt the match decisively in Roma’s favour.
Prediction
Celtic 1-2 AS Roma
Celtic Park is never an easy venue, and with Wilfried Nancy eager to make a statement in his first European home match, Celtic should bring intensity, pace and aggression to the occasion. Their recent European win over Feyenoord showed they can rise to the challenge when the stakes are high, and with Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren both in good goalscoring form, the Scottish champions carry a threat in transition and from midfield runs.
Roma, however, possess greater individual quality and tactical maturity. Even amid back-to-back league defeats, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side remain compact, structured and efficient in possession. The return of Wesley and the magic of Paulo Dybala give the Italians a degree of edge in the final third that Celtic may struggle to contain.
Roma also have a stronger bench and more experience in navigating tense European fixtures. Celtic’s energy and home advantage should ensure a competitive, high-tempo contest, but Roma’s superior quality in key moments is likely to be the difference.
