Celtic vs Beşiktaş Predicted Lineups: UEFA Europa League Preview

Celtic welcome Beşiktaş to Celtic Park in a UEFA Europa League League Stage clash that could shape the trajectory of both clubs’ campaigns. With the fixture yet to kick off and both sides starting this phase on 0 points and 0 games played, this is an early but important marker in a long league-format group. Celtic are listed 9th in the overall League Round ranking, tagged in the “Play Offs” zone, while Beşiktaş sit 5th, also on 0 points but coming in with much stronger recent continental form.

The Scottish champions will lean heavily on home advantage in Glasgow, but they face a Beşiktaş side whose recent Europa League record is excellent: five wins and one defeat in their last six league matches, with solid underlying numbers at both ends of the pitch. That contrast in form, combined with a perfectly balanced 33%–33%–33% outcome probability, makes this one of the most intriguing predicted lineups battles of the League Stage round. With official team sheets still to come, this preview focuses on the most likely starting lineup and tactical approach from both managers.

Predicted lineups suggest a Celtic side built around a stable defensive core and a mix of experience and youth in midfield, while Beşiktaş are expected to stay close to the shapes that have delivered five clean sheets in their last six Europa League fixtures. With both teams yet to score or concede in this season’s League Stage, this match feels like a reset – but Beşiktaş’s momentum and sharper attacking metrics give them a slight edge on paper.

Celtic Team News & Expected Lineups Today

There are no listed injuries or suspensions for Celtic, so the manager is expected to have a full squad available from the current European list. That gives flexibility across all lines, from a deep goalkeeping pool to a crowded midfield and several options in the forward line. With no recent Europa League form string recorded and no goals for or against so far, the Scottish side’s approach is likely to be pragmatic: use the atmosphere at Celtic Park, build from a solid back line, and rely on energy and work rate in midfield.

With no significant absences reported, selection decisions will be driven by tactical preference rather than necessity. Expect an aggressive but balanced setup, with full-backs providing width, a technically secure midfield pivot built around senior figures like C. McGregor, and mobile forwards such as K. Høgh and B. Nygren tasked with stretching Beşiktaş’s back line. The expected lineup today should reflect a desire to match Beşiktaş’s physicality while still offering enough creativity between the lines.

Celtic Predicted Lineups & Starting Lineup

Predicted Starting XI:
GK: V. Sinisalo
DF: C. Carter-Vickers; A. Johnston; J. Lotomba; K. Tierney
MF: C. McGregor; A. Oxlade-Chamberlain; Yang Hyun-Jun; L. McCowan; O. Sørensen
FW: K. Høgh

In goal, V. Sinisalo is the most likely starter, with his age profile and squad status suggesting he can handle a high-intensity European night. Ahead of him, a defensive line built around C. Carter-Vickers and K. Tierney offers a strong blend of physicality and ball progression, while A. Johnston and J. Lotomba provide energy and overlapping threat on the flanks. This unit is expected to operate as a compact defensive block, keeping distances tight to avoid giving Beşiktaş’s creative midfielders space between the lines.

Midfield is where Celtic can try to control tempo. Captain C. McGregor is the natural hub, recycling possession and linking play, with A. Oxlade-Chamberlain adding vertical runs and late arrivals into the box. Yang Hyun-Jun and L. McCowan are well suited to operating in the half-spaces and wide channels, offering dribbling and crossing, while O. Sørensen can act as a link player between midfield and the lone striker. Up front, K. Høgh leads the line as the focal point, expected to press Beşiktaş’s centre-backs and attack early crosses. With no Celtic players featuring yet among the Europa League top scorers or assist leaders, the onus is on this collective structure rather than one standout star.

Beşiktaş Team News & Expected Lineups Today

Beşiktaş arrive in Glasgow in excellent European form. Their league form string in this competition reads “WWWWWL” across six matches, with five wins, one defeat, eight goals scored and just one conceded. They have kept five clean sheets in that span and boast an attacking average of 1.3 goals per game and a defensive average of only 0.2 goals conceded. There are no recorded injuries or suspensions, so the Turkish side can select from a full-strength squad for their lineups today.

The expected starting lineup should closely resemble the core that has delivered those results. The team’s lineups history in the competition shows a clear tactical identity, with Beşiktaş most frequently using a 4-1-4-1 shape (four times) and occasionally a 4-3-3 (once). That suggests a single holding midfielder screening the defence and a flexible attacking band led by a central striker. With O. Kökçü appearing as both a top scorer and among the top assist contributors for Beşiktaş in the Europa League, he is expected to be central to everything they do in possession.

Beşiktaş Predicted Lineups & Starting Lineup

Predicted Starting XI:
GK: A. Nübel
DF: Tiago Djaló; A. Murillo; E. Agbadou; R. Yılmaz
MF: W. Ndidi; S. Özcan; K. Yılmaz; O. Kökçü; V. Černý
FW: D. Vlahović

In goal, A. Nübel is the standout candidate to start, offering experience and composure behind a robust back four. At centre-back, Tiago Djaló and A. Murillo form a powerful pairing; Djaló’s presence in the top defensive rankings and card statistics underlines his aggressive style and importance in duels. Full-backs E. Agbadou and R. Yılmaz provide balance: defensive solidity first, with selective overlapping to support wide attacks when the game state allows.

The midfield zone is Beşiktaş’s major strength. W. Ndidi is the natural anchor, shielding the back line, winning second balls, and allowing the more creative players to push forward. Ahead of him, S. Özcan and K. Yılmaz can offer work rate and ball progression, but the key figure is O. Kökçü. With 2 goals in 4 Europa League appearances and also listed among the top assist contributors and carded players, he is the all-action playmaker who links midfield to attack, dictates tempo, and threatens from distance. V. Černý, operating from a wide or half-space role, adds another line-breaking threat. Up front, D. Vlahović leads the line as a classic penalty-box striker, well supported by the supply from Kökçü and the wide midfielders.

Injuries and Suspended Players Impact

With both squads listed at full strength and no missing players recorded, this fixture is set up as a straight tactical and quality battle rather than one defined by absences. That increases the reliability of the predicted lineups and puts more emphasis on in-game adjustments and substitutions rather than enforced changes.

Celtic Absences:

• No significant absences reported.

Beşiktaş Absences:

• No significant absences reported.

Tactical Analysis: How the Lineups Match Up

The predicted Celtic setup is built around defensive organisation and midfield industry. With Carter-Vickers and Tierney at the heart of the back line and McGregor orchestrating in front of them, Celtic can form a compact shape that is difficult to break down, especially at home. The full-backs A. Johnston and J. Lotomba are likely to be key in transitioning from defence to attack, pushing forward to support Yang Hyun-Jun and L. McCowan in the wide channels. The single striker, K. Høgh, will need to be efficient with limited service, using his movement to drag Beşiktaş’s centre-backs into uncomfortable areas.

Beşiktaş, by contrast, have the form and statistical profile of a side comfortable controlling both territory and transitions. Their recent Europa League record shows eight goals scored with a fairly even distribution across game phases and just one goal conceded, underlining a disciplined structure. With Ndidi anchoring midfield and a technically strong line of K. Yılmaz, S. Özcan and especially O. Kökçü ahead of him, Beşiktaş can overload central areas and create passing triangles to pull Celtic’s midfield out of shape. The presence of V. Černý and D. Vlahović means they can threaten both from wide deliveries and through central combinations.

Key matchups will revolve around Kökçü’s positioning between the lines and how effectively McGregor and his fellow midfielders can restrict his time on the ball. If Celtic’s wide players are forced deep to help their full-backs deal with Černý and overlapping runs from R. Yılmaz, Celtic may struggle to carry a threat on the counter. Conversely, if Celtic can turn Beşiktaş’s attacking full-backs and exploit space behind them with quick transitions through Yang Hyun-Jun and McCowan, they can create the kind of open-field situations that suit Høgh. With the overall comparison indices in the predictions data tilted heavily toward Beşiktaş in form and attack, but with Celtic’s defensive index competitive, this shapes up as a contest between Beşiktaş’s structured pressure and Celtic’s resilience at home.

Match Prediction and Verdict

Outcome probabilities are remarkably balanced: the model gives Celtic a 33% chance to win, a 33% chance of a draw, and a 33% chance of a Beşiktaş victory. That statistical deadlock reflects the uncertainty of an early League Stage match, but Beşiktaş’s underlying numbers provide a subtle edge. They have five wins from six recent Europa League fixtures, a goal difference of +7 (8 scored, 1 conceded), and an outstanding defensive record, including five clean sheets. Celtic, by contrast, enter this stage without a recorded form string or goals data in the competition.

Given that there is no explicit predicted scoreline and no named winner in the projections, the safest verdict is that this will be a tight, low-scoring encounter. Beşiktaş’s capacity to manage games, protect leads, and find goals from midfield – especially through O. Kökçü – suggests they are slightly better equipped to edge fine margins, but Celtic’s home advantage and defensive structure make a stalemate a very realistic outcome. Expect a cautious first half, with the game opening up only if one side is forced to chase.

Predicted Outcome: Celtic 1–1 Beşiktaş

How to Watch Celtic vs Beşiktaş Worldwide

Here is how you can watch the match and see the official lineups today live:

• Spain: Local sports pay-TV channel / streaming platform
• UK: Major sports broadcaster or official UEFA Europa League rights holder
• USA / North America: Subscription-based soccer streaming service
• South America: Regional cable sports network or streaming partner
• MENA: Pan-regional sports network with UEFA Europa League rights