Sturm Graz: Scottish scare or Celtic crisis? The duel of the giants!

Sturm Graz: Scottish scare or Celtic crisis? The duel of the giants!

On October 23, 2025, the teams from Celtic Glasgow and SK Sturm Graz met at Celtic Park on the third matchday of the Europa League. In an exciting duel, Sturm Graz leads 2-1 at halftime. This represents an unexpected success, as the Graz team previously triumphed against Rangers and now want to present themselves as a “Scots terror”. Celtic Glasgow, on the other hand, are under a lot of pressure as they have not managed to win so far in the current Europa League season and have only managed one point from two games. Results so far have included a 1-1 draw against Red Star Belgrade and a 2-0 defeat against Sporting Braga. The situation at Celtic is tense after fans were unhappy with performances and the summer transfer window.

A look at the current performances of both teams shows that Sturm Graz are at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga and have an impressive record of seven wins and two defeats in their last nine league games. They have also won four games in a row and have a three-point lead over RB Salzburg. Words from Jon Gorenc Stankovic, a key Sturm Graz player, reiterated the team's confidence ahead of the game. In addition, goalkeeper Oliver Christensen is unavailable due to injury, resulting in Matteo Bignetti playing in Sturm Graz's goal. Coach Jürgen Säumel trusts him and has nominated Daniil Chudjakov as a replacement.

Sources of performance and pressure on Celtic

Celtic's disastrous performances in international competition are leaving their mark. After the disappointing qualification for the Champions League, where they were eliminated on penalties against Kairat Almaty, the team not only has the opportunity to collect important points in the Europa League, but also jeopardized their good start to the season in the domestic league, characterized by five wins and two draws in seven opening league games. Their last league defeat, a 2-0 loss to Dundee United, has dropped the team to second place in the table, where they remain five points behind Hearts.

The Sturm Graz fans, around 2,500, travel to Scotland to support their team, while Celtic Park, with over 60,000 spectators, provides the backdrop for the exciting game. In the first half, Celtic showed some nice attacks, but there was no real threat to the storm goal. In the 17th minute, Horvat scored the first goal for Sturm Graz from 25 meters away. Celtic then found a few chances, including a header from Engels, which was saved off the line by Aiwu.

Gameplay and key events

As the game progressed, it became clear that Sturm Graz would come under pressure, especially after a red card for Chukwuani in the 72nd minute. However, Celtic managed to equalize in the 66th minute when Scales converted a corner. The game remained intense and exciting, with aggressive offensive impulses on both sides. Brendan Rodgers could be forced to make changes to the starting XI following the current situation in the league, with some players such as Daizen Maeda and Alistair Johnston also suffering problems. Celtic's possible line-up could consist of Schmeichel, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, Engels, McGregor, McCowan, Forrest, Iheanacho and Tounekti, while Sturm Graz could feature Bignetti, Oermann, Aiwu, Lavalee, Karic, Horvat, Gorenc-Stankovic, Chukwuani, Kiteishvili, Malone and Jatta could compete.

With a strong first half and a 2-1 lead, Sturm Graz has the opportunity to make history and increase the pressure on Celtic as the Scots fight for their honor and their first win in the Europa League.

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