Celtic v Anderlecht Predictions & Betting Odds – 5th December 2017

Celtic to round off campaign in style

Dembele (Celtic)
Dembele (Celtic) © GEPA pictures

Celtic v Anderlecht Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 5th December 7.45pm

This is a battle to reach the Europa League and nothing else in Group B. Both of these have struggled in the group against the might of PSG and Bayern Munich, but it is Celtic who holds the power when it comes to landing third place. Anderlecht would have to show up in Glasgow and take a win by a three goal margin in order to sneak third place from the Scottish Champions so that is not likely to happen and Celtic may be able to finish their group stage campaign in style.

Celtic v Anderlecht Betting Tips

The Scottish Champions are in the driving seat in the race for third because of their 3-0 away win in Belgium over Anderlecht on Match Day Two. So they are in a strong position and would have to lose this by a three goal margin to miss out. Incidentally, they would finish bottom if they were to lose this 3-0 because that means the head to head between them would be even, but the Belgians would have a better goal difference overall in the group. Before this season, the only previous time that these two met was in the 2003/04 season when the two both won their respective home fixtures. Celtic’s comfortable away win though earlier in the group against Anderlecht should be a good pointer for this one. Up in the William Hill correct score market, a Celtic 2-0 is a decent 9/1 proposal because frankly, their opponents haven’t looked up to much at all. Celtic suffered 5-0 loss against PSG and a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in their other two home games.

Their victory over Anderlecht back on match day two was actually an important marker for them. That is because it snapped a ten match winless streak of form that they were on the group stage of the Champions League (D3 L7), a run of form which stretched back over four years. The victory was also their largest ever out on the road in the tournament. However, Celtic have been struggling in Europe for a while and particularly on the road and that win at Anderlecht is their only victory in their last 19 group stage fixtures across the Champions League and Europa League competitions (D7 L11). While they are favourites for this one, Celtic have won only one of their last 9 Champions League proper home fixtures, losing seven of those. But they have won all three of their previous home games against sides from Belgium, one of them a 3-1 victory over Anderlecht in 2003. Over 2.5 goals at William Hill is a price of 3/5 and Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele are joint even money anytime goalscorer favourites.

Anderlecht are winless from their five previous visits to Scotland with a W2 L3 record. So this is not going to be an easy trip for them. Once before Anderlecht have lost all six of their Champions League group stage matches in a season and they could become only the second team ever (Dinamo Zagreb) to have suffered that fate twice if they lose at Celtic Park on Tuesday. There is every indicator that they are going to struggle because they have failed to win any of their fourteen away games in the UEFA Champions League and have suffered heavy losses at Bayern and PSG this season alone (3-0 at Bayern, 5-0 at PSG). Since a 1-0 win at Real Betis in 2005, they are D8 L6 on the road in Europe. With the Belgians not having scored in five of their last eleven games across all competitions then Celtic to win to nil at William Hill may have appeal. They have also lost nine of their 22. It may be a tough evening for them at Celtic Park.

Celtic v Anderlecht Betting Odds

Celtic 4/5, Draw 14/5, Anderlecht 3/1

Celtic v Anderlecht Predictions

Celtic are value to win this on home soil and get through to the Europa League. They had a clear superiority over the Belgians in the first meeting and with the Celtic Park support behind them, they can go and claim three points. It is worth backing the game to go over 2.5 goals as well though.