Celtic vs Besiktas Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Celtic

vs

Besiktas

KickoffThursday 5 November 2026, 8:00pm

VenueCeltic Park

CompetitionUEFA Europa League

TV ChannelCeltic TV

Celtic Park on a European night should be one of the great atmospheres in football. The lights on, the crowd roaring, the pressure of the occasion lifting the team. But right now, that picture feels a long way from reality. Martin O’Neill’s side are in genuine crisis, sitting rock bottom of the Europa League table without a single point from three games, and coming off a 2-0 home defeat to Falkirk at the weekend that did nothing to ease the tension building around the club. This is a team that looks fragile, disorganised at the back, and badly short of confidence. Besiktas, by contrast, arrive in Glasgow having already beaten Marseille 4-1 and Hoffenheim 3-2 in this competition, playing with a swagger that Celtic can only dream of right now.

Vincenzo Italiano has his side rolling in Europe even if their domestic form has been a bit patchy. Seven points from three Europa League games puts them eighth in the table and very much in the mix for a strong finish to the league phase. Celtic will be hoping that the Besiktas they face is the one that draws 2-2 with Crystal Palace rather than the one that dismantles Marseille, but given the state of this Celtic back line, there is every reason to think the Turkish side can do some real damage here.

Celtic vs Besiktas Match Details

The match takes place at Celtic Park in Glasgow, with Celtic hosting Besiktas in matchday four of the UEFA Europa League league phase. Celtic are 35th in the 36-team standings, desperately needing their first points of the campaign, while Besiktas come in eighth and unbeaten, making this a genuine clash between two sides at very different ends of the table.

Team News

Celtic are without a couple of regulars going into this one, and O’Neill faces some decisions about whether to ring the changes after a poor run of results. Besiktas have their own absentees to manage, with key midfield names missing through injury and suspension.

• Alistair Johnston is out for Celtic through injury
• Yang Hyun-Jun is also unavailable for the hosts
• O’Neill may shuffle his pack significantly after the Falkirk defeat, with Kasper Hogh, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren all pushing to start
• Orkun Kokcu is absent for Besiktas through injury
• Fabio Miretti is also out injured for the visitors
• Umit Akdag serves a suspension after picking up a red card in the draw with Crystal Palace

Predicted Lineups

Celtic look likely to line up with Johnstone in goal behind a back four of Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales and Tierney. Baur and McGregor should hold the midfield, with Duran, Nygren and Tounekti supporting striker Hogh. There is a chance O’Neill tinkers more drastically given the results, but the spine of the team should remain recognisable.

Besiktas will likely go with Nubel between the sticks, a back four of Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu and Yilmaz, and a midfield featuring Cerny, Olaitan, Ozcan and Ndidi. Trossard provides creativity from wide, with Vlahovic leading the attack. Despite the absentees in midfield, Italiano still has plenty of quality to call on, and Vlahovic will be looking to open his Europa League account in front of goal this season.

Recent Form

Celtic’s form makes for grim reading. Six defeats in their last ten matches across all competitions, three wins, and performances that have left supporters scratching their heads. The Champions League qualifying disaster against LASK Linz, when they threw away a four-goal lead to go out on aggregate, set the tone for a season that has never really found its footing. Since dropping into the Europa League, things have not improved. Three defeats from three, nine goals conceded, just three scored. That is not a blip, that is a pattern, and it is one that Besiktas will have studied carefully.

The weekend loss to Falkirk was the latest gut punch, a 2-0 defeat that raised serious questions about where the goals and the defensive organisation are going to come from. O’Neill is under real pressure now, and that can affect a squad. Players look nervy, decision-making slows down, and teams stop taking the risks that create chances. Celtic need a performance here, not just a result, to stop the rot from spreading further.

Besiktas have been excellent in Europe even if the Super Lig has thrown up the odd setback. Two wins and a draw in their three Europa League games is a very solid return, and the quality of those wins against Marseille and Hoffenheim shows this is a team that can hurt top-level opposition. They have scored nine goals in the league phase already, which is a remarkable return and says everything about how fluent they can be going forward. The concern with them is away form more broadly, having won only four of their nine road games across all competitions this season, but Celtic’s home record is not exactly intimidating right now.

Head-to-Head Record

Celtic and Besiktas do not have a long shared history in European competition, so there is limited head-to-head data to lean on heavily. What we can say is that both clubs have experience in European knockout football, but the dynamic of this particular meeting is shaped far more by current form and context than by historical results. Celtic Park can be an intimidating venue on a good night, but visitors with quality and confidence have proven more than capable of leaving with points when the home side is struggling.

There is no strong historical pattern pointing decisively in either direction, which means the form guide and the current state of both squads carries far more weight in shaping expectations for this one.

Key Stats

• Celtic have conceded nine Europa League goals in just three games, an average of three per game
• Besiktas have scored nine Europa League goals in three games, making them one of the most dangerous attacks in the competition
• Celtic have lost six of their last ten games across all competitions, winning just three

Celtic vs Besiktas Betting Tips

The numbers tell a very clear story here. Celtic are leaking goals at an alarming rate in Europe, and they are facing a Besiktas side that has been scoring freely in this exact competition. O’Neill needs a response, but the evidence so far this season suggests his side simply do not have the defensive structure to keep Italiano’s attackers quiet. The smart money is on Besiktas finding the net, and plenty of goals across the ninety minutes.

Corners Prediction

With Besiktas likely to carry the ball into wide areas through Trossard and others, and Celtic pushing forward out of desperation given their league phase situation, this should generate a high volume of corners. Both sides have enough attacking intent to force the corner count well above the average line, so going over ten corners looks appealing.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Both teams to score looks like a strong call here. Celtic have scored in their recent Europa League games despite the heavy defeats, and they will create something against a Besiktas side that has conceded on the road. The visitors’ attacking quality means they should get on the scoresheet too. Yes for BTTS.

Correct Score Prediction

Given Celtic’s defensive record in this competition and Besiktas’s potency, a 2-1 to Besiktas feels right. Celtic have enough to nick a goal and show some fight, but the visitors have too much quality and too much momentum to leave without the win.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Over 2.5 goals is the call and feels very straightforward given the context. Celtic have been involved in high-scoring Europa League games all season, and Besiktas have scored nine in three. The conditions for goals are firmly in place, and backing under would require a massive defensive shift from the hosts that nothing in recent weeks suggests is coming.

Cards Prediction

With Celtic needing a result and likely to grow frustrated as the game wears on, and Besiktas looking to control without giving Celtic easy openings, there should be a decent collection of yellow cards. The home side in particular could accumulate bookings through desperation and frustration. Over three cards in the game looks a reasonable shout.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Dusan Vlahovic is the standout pick here. The striker has seven Super Lig goals already and is still searching for his first in the Europa League. Facing a Celtic side that has conceded nine goals in three European games, this looks like exactly the kind of fixture where a goalscorer of his quality makes his mark in the competition. He is the man to watch.

Bet Builder Tip

All three selections are rooted in the same logic: a Celtic side that cannot keep clean sheets, a Besiktas attack that has been ruthless in this competition, and a striker who looks due his first Europa League goal of the season.

Final Match Prediction

It is hard to make a case for Celtic here without evidence that they have actually turned a corner. The defending has been poor, the confidence is low, and they are facing a Besiktas side that has been one of the better teams in the Europa League this season. Besiktas will find space in behind the Celtic back four, Vlahovic will cause problems, and the visitors have enough class to manage the game even if Celtic make it uncomfortable at times.

Celtic will give something, maybe grab a consolation, but Besiktas should have too much. Predicted score: Celtic 1-2 Besiktas.

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