Celtic face Rapid Vienna tonight in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon in Group C
Celtic have been poor in this season’s Europa League, but go their first win of this year’s competition in the last round of matches, against Hapoel Tel Aviv, and fans of the Hoops, who think they can follow that up with another win in Austria can get odds of 13/5 (Expekt) on Tony Mowbray’s men.
However, one win in five matches, against what are not Europe’s elite club sides, is not good enough to warrant a punt on a side that are notoriously poor on the road in European competition. Rapid Vienna, with only one win in five themselves, don’t make great appeal at 6/5 (StanJames), and 12/5 (SkyBet) on a repeat of the sides’ draw at Parkhead earlier in the competition looks like the best call.
That game ended one-one (6/1, SkyBet) and a repeat of that score-line would be no surprise. Celtic have won their last four matches in all competitions, and manager Mowbray will be keen to maintain the momentum that his side have built up on that run, which has seen arguably their best performances of the season so far.
Mowbray’s big summer signing, Marc Antoine Fortune (8/1, Bet365), who was brought with the manager from West Brom, came off the substitutes bench at the weekend, to score the winning goal in a three-two win over Motherwell, with what was more or less his first touch of the game, and Thursday’s game offers an excellent chance for Fortune to get himself back to full fitness, following a spell out injured. However, if Fortune is included, then it means dropping one of either Scott McDonald (13/2, Bluesq), or Georgios Samaras (7/1, Bluesq), both of whom are in excellent form at the moment.
Rapid possess one of the leakiest defences in the Europa League, and have conceded eleven goals in their five matches so far. With that in mind, it could be worth taking on the 19/20 (Bet365) on the three goals or more market, or, alternatively the 3/4 (Bluesq) that both teams score, which offers insurance, should the game finish in the aforementioned one each draw.
Recommendations
Teams to Score – Both (3/4, Bluesq)
Correct Score – Rapid Vienna 1 Celtic 1 (6/1, SkyBet)