FK Suduva Marijampole vs Celtic Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 20/08/2018, 06:20  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 20/08/2018 at 07:20 in Europa League Predictions

Celtic are used to competing in the group stages of the Champions League but last week were knocked out by AEK Athens in the third qualifying round of that competition. That loss means a transfer into the Europa League which already has their arch-rivals Rangers taking part. Celtic need to put that defeat and the recriminations it has caused to one side and concentrate on getting a win against Sudova and reaching the group stages of the Europa League, failure to do so would be a disaster for their finances. They will be hoping that beating Suduva will be as easy as when they faced the Lithuanian side in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup. That year they won 2-0 away and then hammered them 8-1 in the second leg. Since then though the Lithuanian side have never conceded more than four goals in an away European tie. Celtic don't have a great record in this competition and have gone 11 away games without a win, but the majority of those games have been against much higher quality than Suduva.

Suduva also began this season in the Champions League beating APOEL Nicosia 3-2 on aggregate before losing 5-0 over two legs to Red Star Belgrade. That loss in the second qualifying round of the Champions League took them into the Europa League where they had a narrow 1-0 win over FK Spartaks Jumala. Home form in European competition has seen them fail to wiin their last two games but have only lost one of the last five. This is the second year in a row that they have reached the Europa League play-off round, going down in defeat to Ludogorets Razgrad last season. Celtic won't get the big win they did years ago but should be able to get a narrow lead to take back to Scotland for the second leg.