Celtic v Nomme Kalju
Wednesday 24th July 1945hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League Qualification
Pick Ryan Christie to score anytime
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 11/10 (odds taken 13.00 GMT, Tuesday 23 July)
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1000 | 75/4 | 50/1 |
* (Betting Odds were taken from 22Bet on July 23, 2019 at 20.00)
Celtic are big favourites to progress to the next stage of Champions League qualification as they face Estonian champions Nomme Kalju in the first leg of the second round clash, at Celtic Park.
Champions League Qualification Betting at Bet365
Celtic Preview – Will Celtic do as expected and build commanding first leg ?
Celtic had few problems in getting past FK Sarajevo in the first round of Champions League qualification. The Glasgow club came back from a goal down away from home to record a 3-1 win before finishing the job at home last week to progress 5-2 on aggregate. It’s certainly not ideal to be playing so many qualifiers, but those games would have been great for fitness and match sharpness. Certainly better than a couple of pre-season friendly games. Neil Lennon is still in the process of moulding his squad with just a couple of first-team signings so far. It’s likely he will use every one of the days left in the transfer window to get the squad he wants. It makes their participation in these games even more challenging. Celtic will again approach this game without a recognised right full back and short in other areas.
Regardless of their lack of competitive action the expectation is Celtic will progress with little fuss. The first leg being at home would not be their preferred arrangement but they are experienced enough to cope. They faced Rosenborg at home in the first leg at this stage last season and made it into this next round with relative ease.
Nomme Kalju Preview – Can Estonian champs cause a massive surprise and upset Celtic?
Estonia may not be the heartbeat of European football but Nomme Kalju celebrated a small victory of their own last time out. Having won their second ever league title in 2018, Kalju were drawn against the North Macedonians KF Shkendija in their first Champions League qualifier in six years. Slight underdogs going into the first leg, Kalju lost the home game 1-0 and looked right up against it traveling away for the return game. Despite few giving them a chance, the Estonians turned in a brilliant performance to secure a 2-1 win and progress on away goals. They were made to sweat for it however, requiring an injury time winner from their Brazilian striker Liliu. It was their first away victory in this competition.
Unlike their opponents tomorrow. Nomma Kalju are well into their domestic season. The current champions are struggling a bit, though. Now 20 games into their campaign, Kalju are 12 points behind current leaders Flora. The biggest reason for that gap is the number of games that they have drawn. Kalju have suffered just two defeats in the league this season but drawn seven. Both of their losses came in the first four weeks of the campaign, meaning they are unbeaten in their last 16 league games. It goes without saying that Celtic will be a massive upgrade on any of their domestic opponents, however.
Key-Facts – Celtic v Nomme Kalju
- Celtic saw off Bosnia Champions FK Sarajevo in the first qualifying round, winning 5-2 on aggregate
- Nomme Kalju won just their second Estonian last year and are looking to reach the third stage of qualifying for the first time in their history
- The Scottish Champions have not lost a home qualifier since 2014 when losing 1-0 to Maribor at the playoff stage
Celtic v Nomme Kalju Betting Advice
The match odds reflect the respective chances of both these teams. Celtic are expected to brush aside Nomme Kalju on their way to facing either Maccabi Tel Avic or FC Cluj in the next round where it would get significantly more difficult. That said, the Hoops only have to look at last week’s Europa League results to see that such shocks can and do happen. Lennon will be conscious of that and eager to get a commanding lead to take to Estonia next week.
Anything other than a comfortable home win would be a surprise and I fully expect Celtic to oblige. Kalju were a match and more for their last European opponents but this is a different level altogether. There should be a few goals in this and with Ryan Christie playing in the advanced midfield position, his odds of scoring anytime look attractive. Christie scored the opening goals in last week’s home game against Sarajevo.
