Super Eagles forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Peter Olayinka will go head-to-head when Celtic and Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) clash in their opening fixture of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League at the Rajko Mitić Stadium on Wednesday.
Both sides, who dropped into the Europa League after failing to progress through the Champions League qualifiers, will be eager to start their group campaign on a positive note.
For Iheanacho, it will be his Europa League debut with Scottish Premiership giants Celtic. Olayinka, meanwhile, is set for his 30th appearance in the competition. Also expected to feature for Red Star is Franklin Tebo Uchenna, recently voted the best centre-back in Scandinavia.
Iheanacho is no stranger to success in the competition, having scored three goals and provided seven assists during his time with Leicester City. The Nigerian forward appears to have rediscovered his form, contributing a goal and an assist in his last two outings for Celtic.
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Olayinka, on the other hand, has recorded three goals and three assists in 29 Europa League appearances. This season, he has already featured twice in the Serbian SuperLiga and made four appearances during the Champions League qualifiers.
For Uchenna, the clash marks his first-ever appearance in the Europa League group stage, following two outings in the qualifying rounds earlier this season.
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