Sturm Graz – Celje

Recent form · Written before the match

Sturm won 2-0 at Austria Wien on 10 October, lost 0-3 at Bournemouth on 15 October, beat Grazer AK 6-1 on 18 October, Marseille 1-0 on 22 October, then drew 2-2 against Ried on 25 October. Celje lost 0-2 at Leverkusen on 16 September and 0-3 against Omonia on 15 October, before drawing 0-0 at Maribor on 18 October and 2-2 against Salzburg on 22 October.

These results are contextualized by different European and domestic opponents. The result of Celje's match at Olimpija Ljubljana and those of Sturm's scheduled matches between 25 October and 1 November are not verified here.

Head-to-head · Written before the match

Une source spécialisée lists Sturm Graz 1-1 Celje on 7 February 2015, Sturm Graz 6-2 Celje on 4 September 2015, and Sturm Graz 2-0 Celje on 15 June 2016. These are three old friendly matches, with different squads and coaches; their prédictive valeur is therefore limited.

Absences and returns

Daniil Khudyakov suffered a leg fracture against GAK and underwent surgery; the exact length of his absence remained unknown on October 19, although it was probably expected to be measured in months. The same article listed Emran Soglo, Filip Rózga, Otar Kiteishvili, Gizo Mamageishvili, Nelson Weiper, Leon Grgic and Seedy Jatta as unavailable on that date, with no guarantee that their status would be the same on November 5.

Jürgen Heil was listed as doubtful and Jošt Pišek as absent for Celje by a tracking page not corroborated by the club. The detailed UEFA suspensions are not confirmed.

Context & news

Sturm can benefit from home advantage, their two mentioned European home wins and the set pieces observed during the 6-1 against GAK. However, Celje can close out the match, as in the 0-0 at Maribor and the 2-2 against Salzburg, then exploit transitions or set pieces if Sturm exposes their full-backs.

The European stakes are direct: after three matchdays, Sturm had four points and Celje one point, but the full standings and exact gaps are not confirmed. The venue and time are confirmed: Graz, November 5, 2026, 21:00 CET or 20:00 UTC.

Lineups and squad

Sturm hosts at the Merkur Arena / Stadion Graz-Liebenau, in Graz. No official lineup or confirmed starter was available as of 30 October. The identity of the goalkeeper called upon to replace Daniil Khudyakov had not been announced.