Celtic vs Young Boys: Preview, predictions and lineup | OneFootball

Celtic return to Champions League action on Wednesday evening as they host Swiss strugglers Young Boys.

The Scottish giants will be searching for an invaluable victory that would all but secure their spot in the play-offs, with three points expected against the winless Young Boys who have conceded 22 and scored just three across their six league phase matches.

Celtic have impressed in Europe this season despite their 7-1 humiliation at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 2, with two victories and three draws earning them nine points. That's as many as reigning European champions Real Madrid have managed and more than Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.

Here is 90min's guide to a crunch clash for the Bhoys.

Celtic vs Young Boys H2H Record (All time)

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Celtic team news

James Forrest is missing for Celtic / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Brendan Rodgers has almost the entirety of his first-team squad available to him on Wednesday evening and is only without James Forrest, who has been absent since the mid-December Scottish League Cup final win over rivals Rangers.

Celtic have allowed two players to leave the club on loan during the January window, with Stephen Welsh having joined Belgian outfit KV Mechelen and Odin Thiago Holm moving to Los Angeles FC.

Celtic predicted lineup vs Young Boys

Celtic predicted lineup vs Young Boys (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda.

Young Boys team news

Giorgio Contini is overseeing his second match in charge / BSR Agency/GettyImages

Former Switzerland assistant manager Giorgio Contini is now in charge of Young Boys but the 51-year-old drew his first match in charge of the club at the weekend against bottom of the table Winterthur. He's looking to steady the ship following a traumatic first half of the 2024/25 campaign for the Swiss side.

Contini is without several players for the trip to Glasgow, with Miguel Chaiwa, Saidy Janko and Christian Fassnacht all absent. Both Facinet Conte and Abdu Conte are sidelined, too.

Young Boys predicted lineup vs Celtic (4-2-3-1): Keller; Blum, Zoukrou, Benito, Hadjam; Ugrinic, Lakomy; Virginius, Monteiro, Colley; Itten.

Celtic vs Young Boys score prediction

Young Boys have been in disastrous form this season, languishing in ninth in the 12-team Swiss Super League and sat bottom of the Champions League's 36-club standings. They have been particularly woeful in defence and Contini will be fearing the worst ahead of a trip to the raucous Celtic Park on Wednesday.

Celtic should secure a fairly routine victory against the Swiss side, with their superior quality likely to overpower their opponents. The Scottish side have form and confidence in their favour and should take an enormous step towards Champions League knockout qualification for the first time since 2012/13.