Wednesday 20/08/2014, 20:45, Champions League Qualifiers, Maribor vs Celtic
Maribor vs Celtic Preview
Celtic got terribly lucky in the Champions League, after suffering an untimely elimination at the hands of Legia Warsaw. Apparently, the Polish side fielded a suspended player, which meant that they lost the return leg by 3-0 and the Scottish side advanced on the aggregate. They hope to put this good fortune to good use tonight when they travel to Slovenia, for a match against the reigning champions Maribor.
Maribor vs Celtic Odds
At Totepool
Maribor 2.80, Draw 3.20, Celtic 2.40
Maribor vs Celtic Tips
Celtic was disappointing in all the friendly games played in the season break and utterly appalling against Legia Warsaw, allowing six goals in two matches. Lady luck smiled benevolently upon them this time and the result of the second leg was reversed, but this means very little when it comes to the quality of the Scottish side.
Manager Deila came under heavy fire as a result of losing both legs and he can consider himself lucky to be still managing Celtic. Something needs to change and it is only fair to assume that following the consecutive victories in the Scottish Premier League, some assume that Celtic is on the mend.
St Johnstone and Dundee United were hardly competitive opponents and the fact that Celtic scored nine goals against them, doesn't mean much. On the road, they remain one of the most ineffective teams playing in the Champions League Qualifiers and Maribor could take advantage of their frailty.
The hosts were a bit frightened by the result of the friendly games played in late June and early July, but they returned to the right track. They won three domestic championship matches in a row and prevailed in qualifiers already, making the most of home pitch advantage. They know that in order to stand a fighting chance Celtic, they can't travel to Scotland on the back of a deficit, even a narrow margin one.
Key Facts
- Celtic is the more experienced team in the European championships, but they are abysmal on the road.
- Maribor will field youngsters Zahovic and Bohar upfront, as they scored a combined three goals in two matches.
Maribor vs Celtic Prediction
This is a classic case of match where punters are supposed to back the underdogs, because this is where the value can be found. A Maribor Draw no Bet wager is priced at 2.10 by Totepool, which is great value, given Celtic's recent struggles and overall weakness on the road. The worst-case scenario is for the match to result in a draw, which means that the investment is fully reimbursed.
Bet: Maribor Draw no Bet @ 2.10 with Totepool
