Celtic and Red Star Belgrade most valuable XI: Eight Hoops stars and seven-goal rival midfielder named
The most valuable starting lineup featuring Celtic and Red Star Belgrade players.
Celtic will play their first Europa League clash of the season this week when they take on Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.
Following both side’s disappointing results in Champions League qualifying, they will be eager to get the campaign off to a positive result.
As Brendan Rodgers waits to oversee his side’s first league stage fixture, we’ve taken a look at the squads the two managers will choose from to select their starting lineups. Using figures provided by Transfermarkt, here is the combined most valuable XI using the top-rated players by market value.
Solid Celtic backline and non-starting Red Star goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
Omri Glazer (£3.4m)
Injuries plagued Glazer’s 2024/25 season as he made just 18 appearances in all competitions throughout the campaign. Hot shot 16-year-old Savo Radanovic is now the first choice between the sticks and has started all but one Serbian Super League fixture so far this season. Despite a reduced role for Red Star, Glazer is still the top valued goalkeeper across both clubs.
Defenders
Alistair Johnston (£8.7m), Cameron Carter-Vickers (£12.2m), Auston Trusty (£5.2m), Kieran Tierney (£7.8m)
Rodgers has switched up his back four a few times already this season, with the returning Tierney getting stuck into the bulk of the action at left-back. Carter-Vickers is in a similar position, having been selected to start the majority of Celtic games so far.
Trusty has been out battling an injury, so his time on the pitch has been limited at this point but his place is secured in this top value XI. Similarly, Johnston has been out with a hamstring problem but he is one of the most valuable players in this starting lineup.
Daizen Maeda the most valuable player
Midfielders
Reo Hatate (£11.3m), Arne Engels (£10.4m), Mirko Ivanic (£3.4m)
There are only three Red Star Belgrade players in this 11 ad Ivanic is the second. The attacking midfielder has a stunning goal contribution tally already this season, with 12 in 10 appearances (seven goals and five assists).
Hatate and Engels anchor behind Ivanic in this lineup. The Celtic duo have been regular figures under Rodgers this season and Engels remains the club’s record signing following his £11 million move from Augsburg last year.
Attackers
Benjamin Nygren, (£5.2m) Daizen Maeda (£13m), Bruno Duarte (£4.3m)
Summer signing Nygren has three goals and three assists in nine appearances so far for Celtic, getting his maiden season off to a solid start.
The frontline in this lineup is led by Red Star’s Duarte, who scored four goals in six Champions League qualifying fixtures before the team fell to an agonising and narrow defeat in the play-off.
The highest valued player in this team is none other than Maeda, who had been close to leaving Parkhead over the summer. Maeda has been a crucial figure for the Hoops and enjoyed a stunning 2024/25 season, with a final tally of 33 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.