Celtic v Milan betting tips
Many Celtic fans will fondly remember the Champions League clash against Milan on 3 October 2007, when the Scottish side scored a last-gasp winner against their illustrious opponents to send thousands of passionate supporters into a frenzy.
However, Celtic were beaten in the return fixture that season and more recent meetings between these two sides took place during the 2013/14 season where Milan won the two games by an aggregate score of 5-0.
Do Celtic Stand a Chance of Beating Milan?
Celtic were beaten in the Champions League by Ferencvaros, although wins against Riga FC and Sarajevo have helped them into the group stage of the Europa League and they’ll now look forward to taking on Milan.
Neil Lennon’s side are the outsiders for this match although they have the winning habit domestically and they enjoyed eight consecutive victories in all competitions going into Saturday’s Old Firm clash.
Odsonne Edouard continues to be a big player for the Scottish champions and the Frenchman bagged a hat-trick against Hamilton in his first game of the season, although Celtic’s odds reflect the fact that they have a big mountain to climb here.
The big issue is that there will be no home supporters for this clash and playing in an empty stadium could play to the strengths of the visitors who don’t have to encounter the fearsome 12th man from the stands.
How Good Are Milan in Serie A?
Milan are a household name when it comes to European football although there’s a reason why the Rossoneri are playing in the Europa League rather than the Champions League.
Stefano Pioli’s side finished sixth in the Italian Serie A table last season by winning nineteen games and nine draws, with Milan experiencing ten defeats and that left them twelve points short of the Champions League places.
However, Milan have started the domestic season with a bang, winning all three matches and scoring seven goals without reply. 21-year-old Rafael Leao looks a fantastic talent and recently bagged a brace against Spezia, with Milan scrambling through the Europa League play-offs when beating Rio Ave on penalties.
What Are the Best Bets For This Match?
Much depends on whether you think Celtic can still make home advantage count at Celtic Park. While there are no supporters in the ground, it will still be familiar territory for Neil Lennon’s side and the Scottish champs have scored twenty-five goals domestically already this season.
A recent spate of clean sheets suggest that the home side should be able to effectively nullify their opponents for the majority of the game, while we might expect the visitors to dominate the match and keep the ball well, with Pioli’s team playing an attractive brand of football.
While there will be plenty of punters aiming to back Milan to double their money, the bottom line is that neither team need to win a game considering that there will be six matches played during Europa League Group H and the other teams include Sparta Prague and Lille.
Therefore, we are happy to look at betting on the draw occurring between these sides rather than take the shorter odds about the home side. Similarly, we will also look to bet on Under 2.5 Goals which means we want no more than two goals to be scored throughout the encounter.