Jake Pearson previews the second leg of the Europa League qualifier between Celtic and Jablonec, picking out his best bets and score prediction.
Football betting tips: Celtic v Jablonec (agg: 4-2)
1pt Both Teams To Score ‘NO’ at 6/5 (BetVictor)
Angelos Postecoglou hardly endured a fairytale start to his career as Celtic manager, failing to win any of his first three competitive matches.
Celtic exited the Champions League at the qualifying stage after losing to Danish side Midtjylland in extra time, and they got their league campaign off to the worst possible start by losing 2-1 to Hearts on the opening day of the season.
A comfortable 4-2 victory in the first leg of this tie however, swiftly followed by a 6-0 demolition of Dundee in the league, has turned things around drastically, and with Rangers losing for the first time in 41 league matches at the weekend, the Bhoys should arrive into this fixture with their tails up.
An appointment that raised a few eyebrows, Postecoglou was hired for his attacking, expansive philosophy, and though things didn’t start perfectly, it is becoming increasingly clear how he wants his team to play.
Celtic have taken 41 shots in their last two matches, 24 of which have been on target. They have scored 10 goals across those two fixtures, winning both and averaging 67.5% possession.
They're hitting their stride it would seem, but motivation remains a factor in this match; the Bhoys already two goals to the good and without real reason to add to their tally.
Jablonec may have netted twice against Celtic in the first leg, but the first was a brilliant finish from Vaclav Pilar and the second a somewhat unfortunate own goal from Nir Bitton, not to mention the fact that the game was played in the Czech Republic.
Both Teams To Score ‘NO’ was priced at 5/6 in the first leg, which is understandable given the home advantage that Jablonec enjoyed, but now the home advantage is with Celtic, the chances of the Czech side scoring must surely diminish.
Contrary though, the price for BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 'NO' is actually bigger in this leg, available at a top price of 6/5, and that feels like an overreaction.
Jablonec failed to score in their only away league match so far this season, while Celtic kept a clean sheet in their only league match at Parkhead, preventing Dundee from even registering a shot on target .
Celtic v Jablonec best bets and score prediction
- Both Teams To Score ‘NO’ at 6/5 (BetVictor)
Score prediction: Celtic 1-0 Jablonec (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Odds correct at 1630 BST (10/08/21)
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