Celtic team vs Shakhtar confirmed: Haksabanovic surprise, global TV details, instant reaction

By John McGinley

September 14, 2022

Manager Ange Postecoglou has named his Celtic team vs Shakhtar in the UEFA Champions League this evening.

The full match squad is as follows:

Starting XI – Hart, Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz, Taylor, McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate, Haksabanovic, Jota, Kyogo.

Substitutes – Bain, Siegrist, Giakoumakis, Abada, Mooy, Turnbull, Bernabei, Abildgaard, Maeda, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh.

The big news is that Sead Haksabanovic makes his first start for the club after some impressive cameos off the bench in recent weeks.

That’s one of only two changes from last week’s line-up against Real Madrid, with the manager clearly liking what he’s seen from the summer signing in training.

Elsewhere, Kyogo Furuhashi comes into the team at the expense of Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Another new signing, Oliver Abildgaard, could make his debut this evening having been named on the bench for the first time.

Broadcast details

Tonight’s match is on BT Sport 4 in the UK & Ireland.

Celtic don’t hold the rights to UEFA matches, even abroad, so the Celtic TV coverage will be audio-only to worldwide subscribers.

As you can imagine, however, this match is being broadcast all over the world.

In Australia, the match is being shown on Stan Sport. In the USA, you can find it on Paramount+. A full list of global channels can be found on Live Soccer TV.

BBC Radio Scotland are also carrying live audio commentary.

Instant verdict on Celtic team vs Shakhtar

This is an attacking line-up that looks very well equipped for hitting the home side on the counter. The movement of Kyogo will hopefully cause the Ukrainians all sorts of problems, aided by the creativity of Jota and Matt O’Riley.

There will be keen intrigue about Haksabanovic and what he can offer from the start of a game. It’s a huge opportunity for him to truly announce his arrival at the Bhoys.

Elsewhere, the eleven is about as expected and as strong as can be fielded at this current point in time. It’s all set-up for a strong, aggressive performance from the Bhoys. Let’s hope they can deliver.

In other news, Rookie Champions League referee set to take charge of Shakhtar vs Celtic clash.