Celtic host former winners Zenit St. Petersburg in the Europa League Round of 32 next week, with the Scottish giants hoping to register a win ahead of the second leg in Russia. Many are predicting fireworks when the duo meet at Celtic Park, with the hosts looking to make up for their exit from the Champions League with a good run in this competition.
Europa League – Celtic v Zenit St. Petersburg – Celtic Park, Glasgow – Thursday 15th February – 20:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 5/2 at PaddyPower |
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Celtic
ZenitMatch Preview
Having found themselves in the Europa League Round of 32 following their exit from the Champions League, Celtic have been handed a tough tie against Zenit St. Petersburg. Brendan Rogers’ side will be confident of recording a positive result in front of their home fans next week however, despite their opponents having dropped only two points in their Group L campaign. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip, with little separating the duo ahead of kick-off. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Celtic Team News & Form
Having done well to finish third in their Champions League group containing both PSG and Bayern Munich, Celtic will be looking for a good run in the Europa League this season, with the Scottish champions seemingly already having one hand on the trophy once again. The Hoops added to their squad during the recent January transfer window, with Jack Hendry and goalkeeper Scott Bain both joining from Dundee. However, it is perhaps attackers Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele who will be the biggest threat to the Zenit backline, with the duo set to continue their partnership at Celtic Park.
Zenit St. Petersburg Team News & Form
Despite sitting in second place in the Russian top-flight, Zenit were perhaps the form team during the Europa League group stage, winning five and drawing once from their six matches. Roberto Mancini’s side scored 17 goals in the process, with Emiliano Rigoni currently being the tournament’s joint-top scorer, having found the back of the net six times already. Striker partner Aleksandr Kokorin has five goals to his name meanwhile, with the duo set to provide a constant threat in attack for the visitors next week.
Head to Head
The two teams are yet to meet in a competitive fixture, meaning that no conclusions can be made from their head-to-head record.
Celtic v Zenit St. Petersburg – Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite being the home team next week, it is in fact Celtic who are the narrow underdogs for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The hosts can be backed at best odds of 28/17 with Ladbrokes, while those looking to bet on an away win for Zenit can take advantage of 13/5 odds from William Hill. However, with little separating the two teams, backing a draw at odds of 5/2 from Paddy Power may well be worth considering ahead of kick-off.
Top Betting Tip Celtic v Zenit St. Petersburg
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams scoring at Celtic Park, which can be found at odds of 4/6 with Ladbrokes.