Celtic are rock bottom of Champions League Group F and with both time and games running out, the Scottish giants need a victory over RB Leipzig to reignite their flickering qualification hopes. Can the Bhoys harness the energy from the Celtic Park support to beat Die Roten Bullen this evening?
Below, we’ve compiled a stats pack for this evening’s contest for your punting pleasure, complete with info on shots, xG, cards, corners and more. Our research and my Stats Pack Guide should help you to put stronger bet builders together. Good luck!
Predicted Lineups
Celtic will be without Carl Starfelt at the back this evening, while skipper Callum McGregor’s absence in midfield is a major blow to their chances of success.
Ange Postecoglou could fill the void in midfield with David Turnbull or James McCarthy. The Bhoys are unlikely to shift from their favoured 4-3-3 set up.
RB Leipzig will be without first-choice keeper Peter Gulasci this evening, while defender Lukas Klostermann is also out. Midfielders Konrad Laimer and Dani Olmo are also on the sidelines at present.
Die Roten Bullen beat Celtic with a 4-2-3-1 shape last week and Head Coach Marco Rose could deploy his team in a similar formation this evening.
Team Stats
Unsurprisingly, Celtic’s stats from their Premiership campaign have been outstanding this season and the Scottish champions have been hitting 3.22 goals and 18.78 shots per 90 minutes in their homeland.
In Europe, Celtic have managed to score just twice in three games however, while averaging a more modest 12.7 shots per contest. Defensively they’ve been conceding almost twice as many attempts on the continent as they are domestically (11.00 to 6.89).
RB Leipzig’s domestic form has been patchy this season and their goals for (1.56), goals against (1.44), shots on target for (4.67) and against (3.78) figures per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga seem to back that up.
Leipzig have been conceding just 9.7 attempts per game in the Champions League however, though they did allow Celtic to muster 12 shots in Germany last week.
Player Shots and Shots on Target
A number of Celtic’s players have been posting excellent numbers in attack in the Premiership this season, including Liel Abada (3.78 shots p/90), Kyogo Furuhashi (3.13), Giorgos Giakmoumakis (4.53) and Jota (2.39).
Portuguese star Jota has also been averaging 3.1 attempts per 90 in the Champions League, while Matt O’Riley (2.5) is a player worth watching from deeper positions this evening.
Timo Werner (3.72 shots p/90) has found his feet again quickly since returning to Germany in the summer, while Christopher Nkunku (2.11) has looked back to his best in recent weeks.
Dominik Szoboszlai (1.82 shots p/90) is always worth watching out for in midfield. The Hungarian has been hitting 2.7 shots per 90 in the Champions League, which is a slightly better output than Nkunku (2.3). Szoboszlai racked up four attempts against Celtic in Leipzig last week.
Player Goals and Assists
Kyogo Furuhashi is out on his own as Celtic’s top scorer in the Premiership this season with seven goals, while Israeli attacker Liel Abada is running him close with six.
Jota has been the team’s main creative force with five assists, though Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda have created 5 and 4 goals each in Scotland. In the Champions League, Jota is the only Celtic player to have found the net so far, however.
French forward Christopher Nkunku, who has already agreed to join Chelsea next summer, has scored seven times in the Bundesliga this season and the exciting attacker has notched four times in his last three appearances in all competitions.
Timo Werner is Leipzig’s next-best performer in Germany with three goals in eight appearances, while centre-half Willi Orban has netted twice. Dominik Szoboszlai has two Champions League assists, while Andre Silva has two goals in the competition.
Celtic Cards
11 different players have been booked for Celtic in the Premiership this season, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Giorgos Giakoumakis the standouts with two yellow each.
In the Champions League, Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Mortiz Jenz have all been cautioned once each. O’Riley was booked in Leipzig last week. Celtic’s defensive workload could be high this evening, so the potential for cards should be similarly lofty.
Andre Silva (fouled 2.33 times p/90) can be a real handful up front for Leipzig and he is sure to put Cameron Carter-Vickers through the wringer this evening.
Christopher Nkunku’s match-winning ability means he is often marked out for heavy treatment, so watch out for the Frenchman when he isolates Moritz Jenz.
Matt O’Riley has already shown bite against the Red Bulls once this season and he will have to watch Dominik Szoboszlai (fouled 1.63 times p/90) closely.
Match-Ups to watch
Cameron Carter-Vickers vs Andre Silva
Moritz Jenz vs Christopher Nkunku
Matt O’Riley vs Dominik Szoboszlai
RB Leipzig Cards
RB Leipzig like to play with a combative duo at the base of their midfield and both Kevin Kampl (2 Bundesliga cards) and Xaver Schlager (one Champions League card) are worth tracking this evening. Kampl was also booked against Celtic last week.
While he doesn’t make our domestic stats list, right-back Mohamed Simakan is also worth picking out. The 22-year-old has been committing 1.7 fouls per appearance in the Champions League this term and he has already been carded once.
Greg Taylor (fouled 1.67 times per 90) has been targeted by opponents in Scotland this season due to his threatening surges down the flank for Celtic and the 24-year-old could run into Xaver Schlager this evening when the midfielder shuffles across to cover his channel.
Reo Hatate (fouled 1.25 times p/90) is a key component in Celtic’s midfield and his battles against Kevin Kampl should be followed closely.
Jota is Celtic’s biggest danger man and the Portuguese schemer will drift into the spaces occupied by serial Champions League fouler, Mohamed Simakan later today.
Match-Ups to watch
Xaver Schlager vs Greg Taylor
Kevin Kampl vs Reo Hatate
Mohamed Simakan vs Jota
