Sparta Prague vs Celtic Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 24/11/2020, 14:39  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 25/11/2020 at 06:50 in Europa League Predictions

Scottish champions Celtic travel to Czech Republic for a UEL Europa League encounter at Sparta Prague on Thursday. The visitors are bottom of Group H, which also features Lille and AC Milan, after three games. Their solitary point was won in a 2-2 away draw in France. Sparta, meanwhile, are third in the group, their three points coming courtesy of a thumping win in Glasgow. Luka Julis scored a hat-trick in a stunning 4-1 victory over Neil Lennon's side. Bizarrely, it was Sparta's only win in their last five games, the rest of which have ended in heavy defeat. That reverse fixture against Celtic was the only game in that sequence in which Sparta did not concede at least three goals. Their attacking credentials cannot be questioned but no clean sheets in their last six games is almost an invitation for Celtic to attack. Sparta have conceded four goals in their last two home games in all competitions.

The recent run of poor results has left Sparta second in their domestic league, an ignominy Celtic can empathise with. They are 11 points behind Rangers after 13 games and while they have two games in hand, it has still been a poor start from Celtic. The pressure is mounting on Neil Lennon after only two wins from their last eight games in all competitions. All this makes for gloomy reading if you're a Celtic fan, however, their away record in the UEL offers encouragement. They are unbeaten in seven of their eight games on the road in the UEL, picking up impressive results like a 2-1 victory at Lazio. But this pales in comparison to Sparta's home record in the UEL. They have suffered just five defeats in their last UEL 39 games on their turf, a run which featured them taking points from Liverpool, Napoli, and Inter Milan. We see them returning to winning ways against Celtic.