The first Champions League fixture for Celtic this season sees them welcome Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night and the X-man (we used to call him the top Twitter tipster, you know), Andy Robson, has crunched the numbers and analysed the action to find five value picks.
The match presents a solid opportunity for Brendan Rodgers’ side to get their European campaign off to a strong start. So, let’s get into his Celtic v Slovan Bratislava betting tips.
Celtic v Slovan Bratislava Betting Tips
Celtic -1
Reo Hatate to have 2+ shots
Slovan Bratislava to receive the most cards
Celtic Over 5.5 corners
Celtic GK to make 2+ saves
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 12/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 18th – 20:00
WHERE: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
TV: TNT Sports 2
Further Bet Builder stats are available on Andy’s Opta-powered Bet Builder stats tool, free to use on his website, Andy’s Bet Club. Expert insight on the Premier League can be found specifically on our Premier League predictions page, and the SPFL, EFL, and major European leagues can be found in the football betting predictions section.
Celtic -1
Rarely in recent seasons have Celtic entered a European campaign with the optimism that Brendan Rodgers’ side have when welcoming Slovan Bratislava to Glasgow. The Hoops will want to make it count with a comfortable victory.
The way they are playing, Celtic can win this fixture with some to spare. Rodgers’ side boast a perfect five out of five record in the Scottish Premiership this season, not even conceding a goal. On top of this, they have won all six competitive matches by at least a couple of goals.
Slovan Bratislava, meanwhile, have progressed to this stage off the back of their home form. Having drawn their last three on the road in qualifying, don’t expect them to leave Scotland with anything.
Reo Hatate to have 2+ shots
Hatate is a considerable price to have a couple of shots in this encounter. The Japanese international sits second among Celtic’s players in shots in the Premiership this season with 17, at a rate of 3.95 per 90.
The midfielder has a terrific appetite to get forward into the box and will certainly be encouraged to be an attacking threat in this clash. His finishing has been erratic at times this season, but he has had at least two shots in each of Celtic’s three home league matches and has it in him to continue that trend in this one.
Slovan Bratislava to receive the most cards
Look for the visiting side to come away from this match with more cards than the hosts, who have received only seven yellows domestically and have won 12 from their opponents.
With Celtic barely picking up a card per match on average, Bratislava will not have to stray significantly to find themselves in more trouble with referee Danny Makkelie, who has not shown more cards to home players in his last six European ties dating back almost a year.
A big atmosphere is expected at this game, which threatens to sway some of the referee’s decisions, including those when he shows a card. With Celtic typically clean, this will count against the guests.
Celtic over 5.5 corners
Celtic play in a manner that lends itself to winning corners, and on Wednesday, when they will expect to be on the front foot, it can be expected to see another healthy number of these set-piece situations.
In their three home matches this season, they have picked up at least six corners on two occasions, while in Saturday’s match against Hearts, they fell just one short of that mark.
Bratislava, meanwhile, gave up 19 corners across their two matches in the previous round against Danish outfit Midtjylland, suggesting they are prone to giving away these positions.
Celtic GK to make 2+ saves
Kasper Schmeichel may not have conceded a league goal for Celtic yet this season, but he will expect to be worked on Wednesday.
Celtic face an average of two shots on target domestically, but they will expect to be harder pushed by a visiting side that is well used to winning and scoring goals. Slovan, after all, have scored 18 goals across their eight European matches this season, managing 13 shots on target in their two-legged tie against Midtjylland alone.
The Hoops’ defence has been solid this term, but Schmeichel should be ready to work harder than he has become accustomed.
Celtic v Slovan Bratislava Bet Builder Tips
Celtic -1
Reo Hatate to have 2+ shots
Slovan Bratislava to receive the most cards
Celtic Over 5.5 corners
Celtic GK to make 2+ saves
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 12/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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