Celtic Faces PAOK in Europa League Clash

omidbasir- The UEFA Europa League returns, bringing excitement to Celtic supporters and the squad led by Claudio Giráldez, many of whom are set to make their continental tournament debuts. Their journey begins in Thessaloniki, where they will face PAOK.

This marks the sixth meeting between the Vigo-based club and a Greek team, with a notably positive record for Celtic, who aim to extend their success. To date, they have secured four victories and one draw against Greek opposition.

The most recent encounter occurred just four and a half months ago against the same opponent, with Celtic triumphing 3-1 over PAOK on October 2 at Balaídos during the group stage. The coaching staff emphasizes that this past success should not lead to overconfidence.

However, the statistics from PAOK’s home ground, Toumba Stadium, highlight the challenges ahead. Under the management of Lucescu, PAOK has not lost at home since February 13, 2025, when they were defeated by CSKA Sofia in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32. In the past year, they have played 22 matches, conceding only five draws.

This will also be the first time Claudio Giráldez faces a two-legged knockout tie in his nearly two years at the helm of the Celtic first team. Unfortunately, he will be without injured players Álvaro Núñez and Hugo Sotelo for this match, and several changes are expected in the starting lineup. Notably, Iago Aspas may return to the starting position, while Matías Vecino is set to make his debut in the lineup after participating in the final minutes of the recent match against Espanyol.