Celtic vs SK Sturm Graz Preview

Celtic Park transforms into a thunderous cauldron of European passion as Celtic prepare to host SK Sturm Graz in a Europa League encounter that promises to showcase the raw intensity and tactical sophistication that defines continental competition at its finest. This legendary Glasgow fortress will witness a compelling clash between Scottish football heritage and Austrian tactical discipline, where Celtic’s relentless attacking philosophy meets Sturm Graz’s methodical European approach in what could prove to be a defining moment in both clubs’ continental campaigns. The Hoops enter this crucial fixture carrying the burden of inconsistent recent performances that have raised questions about their European credentials this season. Celtic’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Dundee in domestic action represents a shocking result that exposed their vulnerabilities against organized opposition, while their narrow 3-2 victory over Motherwell demonstrated their ability to find crucial goals when required. Their 2-0 defeat to Braga in Europa League competition highlighted their struggles against quality European opposition, though their goalless draw with Hibernian and 1-1 tie with Red Star Belgrade showed glimpses of defensive solidity that could serve them well in continental fixtures.

The Austrian visitors arrive in Glasgow riding a wave of impressive form that has seen them secure four victories from their last five competitive outings across all competitions. SK Sturm Graz’s remarkable 4-3 triumph over FC Blau-Weiß Linz demonstrated their attacking potency and mental resilience, while their commanding 2-0 victory against SC Rheindorf Altach and crucial 2-1 triumph over Rangers in Europa League action underlined their growing confidence on multiple fronts. Their narrow 1-0 victory over TSV Hartberg further emphasized their tactical discipline, though their solitary blemish came in the form of a 2-0 defeat to FC Midtjylland in European competition, which serves as a reminder of the challenges that await in continental fixtures.

The historical context between these two clubs is limited but intriguing, with Celtic holding a psychological advantage from their solitary previous encounter. Their 1-0 victory in a club friendly dating back to 2016 represents the only meeting between these sides, though the significance of that result in the context of competitive European football remains minimal. The kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT, offering global audiences the opportunity to witness this compelling European encounter in the electric atmosphere of Celtic Park. British fans can access the action through discovery+ and Amazon Prime Video, while German supporters have coverage via RTL+. French viewers can tune in through myCANAL and Canal+ Live 5, and American audiences can watch on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Injuries: Jota and Alistair Johnston (Celtic) are both out, while Sturm Graz have Daniil Khudyakov, Arjan Malic, Axel Kayombo, and Filip Rózga all ruled out.

Possible line-ups:

Celtic (4-3-3)

Schmeichel, Tierney, Scales, Carter-Vickers, Donovan, McGregor, Bernardo, Tournekti, Nygren, Maeda, Iheanacho

Sturm Graz (4-3-1-2)

Christensen, Karic, Lavalée, Aiwu, Oermann, Chukwuani, Stankovic, Malone, Kiteishvili, Beganovic, Horvat

🍀 Celtic Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
❌	Dundee	2-0	Celtic	Scottish Premiership	Oct 19, 2025
✅	Celtic	3-2	Motherwell	Scottish Premiership	Oct 5, 2025
❌	Celtic	0-2	Braga	Europa League	Oct 2, 2025
🤝	Celtic	0-0	Hibernian	Scottish Premiership	Sep 27, 2025
🤝	Red Star Belgrade	1-1	Celtic	Europa League	Sep 24, 2025

⚫ SK Sturm Graz Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	FC Blau-Weiß Linz	3-4	SK Sturm Graz	Austrian Bundesliga	Oct 19, 2025
✅	SC Rheindorf Altach	0-2	SK Sturm Graz	Austrian Bundesliga	Oct 5, 2025
✅	SK Sturm Graz	2-1	Rangers	Europa League	Oct 2, 2025
✅	SK Sturm Graz	1-0	TSV Hartberg	Austrian Bundesliga	Sep 28, 2025
❌	FC Midtjylland	2-0	SK Sturm Graz	Europa League	Sep 24, 2025

⚔️ Head-to-Head Record

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
SK Sturm Graz	0-1	Celtic	Club Friendly	Jul 3, 2016

📺 TV Listings / Streaming

Country	TV Channel/Streaming
Great Britain	discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports 2
Germany	RTL+
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Live 5
USA	Paramount+, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video
Italy	SKY Go Italia, NOW TV, Sky Sport 255
Austria	RTL+, CANAL+ Austria
Belgium	Play Sports 3
Croatia	MAXtv To Go, Arena Sport 10 Croatia
Norway	Viaplay Norway
International	Celtic TV