Celtic and Celta Vigo seek first Europa League points

Celtic were scheduled to host Celta Vigo at Celtic Park on Thursday, October 22, in a Europa League match between two teams seeking their first points after losing their opening two league-phase games. Kickoff was listed for 8 p.m. BST. The fixture is the third round of the league phase. Celtic’s defeats came against Ferencvaros and Benfica, while Celta lost to Omonia and Juventus. The match was previewed as an important opportunity for both clubs to get their campaigns moving, but the result had not yet been determined as of Wednesday, October 21. Both sides arrived after domestic wins on the preceding Sunday. Celtic beat Hearts 7-1, while Celta defeated Alaves 2-1. The results offered each team a positive lead-in to the Glasgow fixture, though their European records remained winless. Celtic’s opening two matches included a 3-1 home defeat to Ferencvaros on September 17 and a 4-1 loss away to Benfica the following week. Celta began with a 1-0 defeat at Omonia on September 16, then lost 2-1 at home to Juventus. Those results left both clubs looking for their first league-phase points in Glasgow. Team availability remained subject to the clubs’ final selections. A preview...