Prediction: Celtic vs Slovan Bratislava

Verdict: Both teams to score

Odds: 17/20

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Celtic are keen to find glory in Europe following an impressive start domestically. A debut against Slovan Bratislava in the new season of the UEFA Champions League, which underwent a massive revamp, is the perfect opportunity to bring the host their 7th consecutive win across all competitions.

The game will kick off Wednesday night at Celtic Park in Glasgow, where over 60000 fans will push their favourites towards victory.

Celtic

Ending their previous season with a domestic treble and a home win against St Mirren (3-2) before clinching their 54 title with an 8-point advantage in front of bitter rivals Rangers, Celtic picked up from where they left off.

Starting the summer preparations against lower league sides, the Scottish champions tested their potential in the USA tour against world-class opponents. Although an emphatic win against DC United (4-0) displayed the attacking quality of Celtic, wins over Premier League heavyweights Manchester City (4-3) and Chelsea (4-1) came as a shocker.

Satisfied with his players’ output before the start of the season, Brendan Rogers’ team opened their title defence bid with a statement home win against St Mirren (4-0). Although more difficult games were on the horizon, the current champions brushed away all their opponents. While the Old Firm derby should have been a tight contest, Celtic hammered their bitter rivals with a no-contest 3-0.

Building momentum following the win against Rangers, the current Scottish Premier League leaders prepared for the Champions League debut against Slovan Bratislava with a 2-0 home win against Hearts. This result led to a perfect start for the Celts, with six consecutive wins across all competitions.

With the new Champions League format that added four more teams to the competition in a single Group phase, Celtic must take advantage when playing at home against accessible opponents and win their games to stand a chance of reaching the knock-out phase.

Team news

After suffering a muscle injury at the end of last season, Maik Nawrocki had another setback by injuring his calf in the pre-season friendly played against Queen’s Park. The Polish defender remains the only absentee from the squad against Slovan Bratislava.

Arne Engles should start after a perfect debut, netting the last weekend against Hearts from the penalty spot.

Slovan Bratislava

Dominating the previous season from beginning until end, Slovan Bratislava won the title in Slovakia with a 15-point lead over second-placed Dunajska Streda. Although the Summer preparations cast doubt for the upcoming Champions League qualifiers with two defeats in four games, the Sky Blues secured their seat alongside Europe’s best clubs following an impressive run.

Knocking out in doubleheaders Struga, Celje, and APEOL, the team managed by the experienced Vladimir Weiss achieved history by defeating Midtjylland (4-3 on aggregate) to reach the UEFA Champions League group phase for the first time.

While this impressive achievement led to a massive celebration, the hangover in the next game returned Slovan Bratislava’s one of the heaviest defeats as Zilina trashed the Sky Blues with an embarrassing 5-0. However, Vladimir Weiss’s team bounced back in the next two games by winning the Cup match at AC Nitra (5-0) and edging Dunajska Streda away from home (1-2), placing the champions in pole position at the top of the table.

Although reaching the UEFA Champions League group phase is a massive achievement for the Slovakia champions, playing at Celtic Park in front of 60000 Scottish fans requires a perfect game to leave the pitch undefeated.

Team news

Hit by a virus, the veteran manager Vladimir Weiss could miss the trip to Glasgow after sitting out the last couple of games. Although the medical staff is working hard to have the experienced manager on the bench against Celtic, assistant manager Boris Kitka will likely lead the team.

Key factors to consider

• Celtic lost a single game across all competitions (including friendlies) since March (W21D2L1)
• Brendan Rodgers’s team lead the Scottish Premiership with the maximum number of points after five rounds.
• Slovan Bratislava qualified for the UEFA Champions League’s group stage for the first time
• The visitors had a long journey to play against Europe’s best after passing successfully through four qualifying rounds

Conclusion

Although the hosts are a real force at Celtic Park, the visitors proved their credentials in the qualifying rounds. We expect Celtic to be on the front foot, leaving counter-attacking opportunities for the visitors, resulting in a scenario with goals scored at both ends.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Odds: 17/20

Bookmaker: Olympusbet