Dundee United 0-4 Celtic: The Numbers Behind the Win | LASK Champions League Preview

Celtic hammered Dundee United 4-0 — so why did they lose the xG battle and concede 19 shots? On this episode of The Huddle Breakdown, James and Alan dig into Alan's post-match stat pack and packing score data to explain the contradiction at the heart of Celtic's fast start to the 2026/27 season. Celtic are conceding packing scores near 300 against bottom-half Scottish Premiership opposition, roughly double the rate of the games they genuinely control, and the numbers point straight at central midfield: Callum McGregor's defensive success rate almost halved without Arne Engels beside him, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was physically finished five minutes into the second half, and Celtic simply aren't stopping danger at source. Alan and James also give first impressions of new signings Bauer and Hassan, debate Trusty vs Scales alongside Carter-Vickers, argue over Tounekti vs Yang on the left, and preview Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against LASK at Celtic Park — a Red Bull-adjacent, transition-hungry Austrian side that Celtic should out-talent, but who could drag this into exactly the kind of chaotic second-ball game Celtic are currently worst equipped to handle. Analytics, eye test, and a lot of anxiety about whether a great attack can paper over a structural problem. Subscribe at huddlebreakdown.com for Alan's full stat pack and James's LASK preview analysis.