Preview: Red Star Belgrade vs Celta Vigo - prediction, team news, lineups

Red Star Belgrade welcome Celta de Vigo for a decisive Europa League league-phase encounter on Thursday evening, with both sides battling for position in the congested mid-table standings.

The Serbian giants currently sit 11th with 13 points from seven matches, while their Spanish visitors are three places lower in 14th on 12 points.

Match preview

Red Star Belgrade enter this encounter in excellent form, having won four of their last five matches across all competitions.

Dejan Stankovic’s side have been particularly effective in Europe, compiling an impressive 13 points from seven Europa League outings courtesy of four wins, one draw, and two defeats.

Their campaign has been built on defensive solidity, with just five goals conceded while scoring six, underlining a pragmatic approach that prioritises control and resilience.

That structure has paid dividends, with the team keeping four consecutive clean sheets in the competition.

Most recently, Red Star Belgrade claimed a vital 1-0 away victory against Malmo FF, a result that highlighted their growing maturity in grinding out results on the European stage.

That success followed a series of strong performances at home, where they remain unbeaten at the Marakana this season, recording two wins and one draw from three Europa League fixtures.

Celta de Vigo, meanwhile, have endured a more uneven Europa League journey.

Claudio Giraldez’s side sit 14th with 12 points from seven matches, having recorded four wins and three defeats.

Their attacking output has been eye-catching, with 14 goals scored - one of the better tallies in the competition, but defensive frailties remain a concern after conceding 10 times.

The Galician outfit have found consistency difficult to achieve on the road, managing just one win from three away fixtures while suffering two defeats.

Their most recent Europa League appearance brought a confidence-boosting 2-1 home win over Lille, yet that result was quickly followed by a disappointing 3-1 domestic defeat away to Real Sociedad, again highlighting their struggles in hostile environments.

While Celta’s overall form mirrors that of their hosts - four wins from their last five matches, questions remain over their ability to deliver under pressure away from home.

Both sides currently occupy playoff qualification spots as things stand, although Crvena zvezda have a better chance of securing automatic progression to the knockout stages with a win, depending on other results.

Red Star Belgrade Europa League form:

Red Star Belgrade form (all competitions):

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Celta Vigo Europa League form:

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Celta Vigo form (all competitions):

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Team News

Stankovic's side have no injury concerns heading into this encounter, giving Stankovic a full squad to choose from.

Marko Arnautovic and Aleksandar Katai are expected to lead the line, while Rade Krunic and Timi Max Elsnik should anchor midfield.

The hosts’ back four is likely to feature Seol Young-woo, Rodrigao, Milos Veljkovic and Nair Tiknizyan, providing stability in front of goalkeeper Matheus.

Celta de Vigo will be without Williot Swedberg, who is suspended after accumulating yellow cards, while Manu Fernandez is ruled out due to a leg injury.

Hugo Sotelo is also unavailable following his red card in the previous Europa League fixture.

With Swedberg sidelined, Pablo Duran could be introduced into the attack alongside Borja Iglesias and club captain Iago Aspas.

Red Star Belgrade possible starting lineup:

Matheus; Seol, Veljkovic, Rodrigao, Tiknizyan; Lucic, Kostov, Elsnik, Krunic; Arnautovic, Katai

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:

Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez; Mingueza, Roman Gonzalez, Rueda, Carreira; Duran, Aspas, Iglesias

We say: Red Star Belgrade 1-1 Celta Vigo

With both sides in strong recent form and separated by just a single point in the standings, a tight and tactical contest is expected.

Red Star Belgrade’s defensive organisation and home advantage could be matched by Celta’s attacking quality, making a share of the spoils a likely outcome.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.