Verdict: Celtic 3-0 win
Best Odds: 9/2
Bookmaker: Bet365
Looking to move one step closer to securing a group stage return in this year’s Champions League, Celtic will welcome Estonian outfit Nomme Kalju to Glasgow on Wednesday night.
Celtic
Starting with the hosts, while Celtic may have suffered an early scare against FK Sarajevo last week, Neil Lennon’s men secured a comfortable 2-1 over the Bosnian outfit and the mood in Glasgow is on a high. Once again enjoying a triple-winning domestic sweep in Scotland’s top-tier and seen to be handed a very easy route to the group stages of this year’s Champions League, the Hoops will unsurprisingly be an overwhelming favorite in midweek. Yet to be beaten in any of their seven pre-season matchups as they put together their final preparations before the Premiership campaign gets back underway next weekend, fans in Glasgow will be most impressed by Celtic’s form on home soil. Including their routine victory over FK Sarajevo last time out, Wednesday’s hosts have lost just one of their last 16 matches at Celtic Park, a run that stems back to the 17th of December.
Team News
Simunovic is suspended for the game, while Johnston, Bayo, Tierney, Hendry, Eboue and Arzani are all out injured.
Nomme Kalju
As for the visitors, while Nomme Kalju may have managed to clinch the Meistriliiga two seasons ago, the Estonians were drastically short of form this time around. Despite managing to just scrape past Shkendija by an aggregate score of 2-1 last week, Head Coach Roman Kozhukhovskyi saw his side only manage to secure a fourth-place finish in the Meistriliiga and finished 12 points adrift of defending their crown. Now managing to record just a single win in any of their last five matches across all competitions, it is also worth noting that Nomme Kalju have recorded just one clean sheet in their last eight appearances. While the Estonian outfit may have participated in either the Champions League qualifying or Europa League qualifying rounds over the past seven consecutive campaign, Wednesday’s guests have never managed to reach a European group stage in the club’s history.
Team News
The Estonian side have no injury concerns ahead of their trip to Glasgow on Wednesday night.
Key Factors to Consider
- Celtic have lost just one of their last 21 matches across all competitions.
- The Hoops have also now scored two or more goals in six of their last eight contests.
- Nomme Kalju have won just one of their last five matches across all competitions.
- Wednesday’s visitors have also failed to record a clean sheet in any of their last four appearances.
Conclusion
On paper, Celtic should see this as a golden opportunity to gain a commanding advantage against a Nomme Kalju side low on both confidence and morale. Given the huge gulf in class between the two sides and Neil Lennon’s men holding significantly more European experience, we’re backing a routine victory for the defending Scottish champions in Glasgow on Wednesday night.
Verdict: Celtic 3-0 win
Best Odds: 9/2
Bookmaker: Bet365
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
