Celtic vs RB Leipzig prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-04 20:00.
[p]As fireworks light up the Scottish sky for Guy Fawkes Night, Celtic will hope to put in an explosive performance of their own as they search for more consistency on the European stage after a mixed start (W1, D1, L1). Continuing their dominant domestic form at the weekend with a 6-0 Scottish Premier Sports Cup semi-final thrashing of Aberdeen, Celtic enter this UEFA Champions League (UCL) match against RB Leipzig having kept four straight clean sheets and scored 11 unanswered goals (W3, D1). [/p]
[p]Maintaining that tilt won’t be easy for Brendan Rodgers’ men, whose record across the last 16 games against German sides makes for bleak reading (W1, D3, L12), and includes defeats in five of the last six at home. Curiously the sole victory in that sequence came against Leipzig, a repeat of which would secure three straight UCL home wins for the first time since 2007. [/p]
[p]Coming into this on the back of their first Bundesliga defeat of the season, Leipzig are in need of an immediate turnaround if they’re to maintain hope of progressing into the knockouts as they’re one of only six sides without a point after matchday three. Another defeat would see the Red Bulls face the ignominy of becoming just the third German side to lose their first four games in the UCL proper and the first since Stuttgart way back in 2007/08. [/p]
[p]Despite entering this game as the favourites, Leipzig travel here with a negative away record against Scottish sides (W1, L2), yet that sole victory did come here at Celtic Park in their most recent such game. Whatever happens, it’s likely that the points will go one way or the other if Leipzig’s UCL away form is indicative, as they’ve played out a stalemate in just one of their last 17 trips in the competition (W7, D1, L9). [/p]
[p]Key battle: Daizen Maeda enters this clash having scored his second hat-trick for Celtic over the weekend, while he’s netted in two of their three UCL games this term. Trying to stop him will be the likes of Leipzig captain Willi Orbán, who has already doubled his scoring tally from last season with two goals in his last five appearances. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Each of Celtic’s last five UCL home games, and Leipzig’s last five away in the competition, saw both teams score. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]