Lazio v Celtic: team news, referee details, KO time and where to watch

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The Celtic Star

·28 November 2023

Lazio v Celtic: team news, referee details, KO time and where to watch

Celtic face Lazio in the UEFA Champions League this evening. Brendan Rodgers’ side need to win if they are to keep their ambitions of playing European football beyond Christmas alive. When the teams met at the beginning of October, Celtic were the better team but found themselves on the wrong end of an injury time goal from Lazio’s Pedro to give Maurizio Sarri’s team all of the points.

Team News

Celtic go into the game with a few concerns on the front line. Daizen Maeda is injured as is Liel Abada, two of the three players likely to start. The other player that would make up the trio of most promising wide players, Luis Palma, is suspended after picking up a yellow card against Atletico.

OneFootball Videos

Ironically, it was a yellow card that was incurred when he thought he had put Celtic ahead in the return game against Lazio. Marco Tilio is not registered.

Celtic v St Mirren – James Forrest during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday November 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

James Forrest didn’t feature at the weekend but the manager has said that he will be involved, along with Mikey Johnston and Yang.

Joe Hart will start in goals. The Englishman will have been disappointed at conceding the goal against Motherwell at the weekend and will be vital if we are to win in Rome. In defence, expect Alistair Johnston to replace Tony Ralston on the backline with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales continuing with Greg Taylor at left back.

Celtic v Ross County – David Turnbull celebrates scoring the first goal of the game during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Saturday August 5, 2023. Photo Steve Welsh

In midfield, Callum McGregor will captain the side along with Matt O’Riley and Odin Thiago Holm. David Turnbull, Paolo Bernardo and Tomoki Iwata are all notable suggestions but you’d imagine that Holm was given the start against Motherwell to get his sharpness up.

In attack, Celtic are somewhat threadbare on the wings. You would expect Kyogo to start through the middle with James Forrest and Yang out wide.

Predicted Team

Predicted XI: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, O’Riley, Holm; Yang, Kyogo, Forrest.

Celtic players gather in a circle prior to the UEFA Champions League h between Celtic and Lazio at Celtic Park on October 4, 2023. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Match Officials

Referee: Halil Umut Meler (TUR) Assistant Referee 1: Mustafa Emre Eyisoy (TUR) Assistant Referee 2: Kerem Ersoy (TUR) Fourth Official: Arda Kardeşler (TUR) Video Assistant Referee: Alper Ulusoy (TUR) Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER) UEFA Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu (ROU) UEFA Delegate: Michal Mertinyák (SVK)