Week four of the UEFA Champions League group stages is played on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with every game shown live on television. There are several eye-catching games on the list, and the most difficult question of midweek will be which games to focus on each night. The fixture that caught the eye of our expert football content writers comes from Spain, where Atletico Madrid hosts Celtic.
One of the most famous teams in the Spanish La Liga welcomes the first British side to win a European trophy in the Hoops from Glasgow as Celtic aims to build on their Group E draw against the same opponent at Celtic Park last time. The pair served up a stunning four-goal share of the Group E points late last month, and a similar result would surely suit the visitors, but the locals are hoping to secure a maximum of three points. Will they get their wish?
Madrid missed a trick
Atletico Madrid expected to win in Glasgow against Group E’s bottom club, but they failed to live up to the pre-game hype and looked fortunate to escape Scotland with a share of the spoils. The La Liga giants fell behind twice in the contest but fought back on each occasion, leveling at 1-1 thanks to Griezmann and at 2-2 through a strike from Morata. They finished that game with ten men following the dismissal of De Paul but managed to hold on for a point, which was a fair result.
Atletico Madrid warmed up for Tuesday’s game against Celtic and the second part of a tantalising doubleheader with a surprise 2-1 defeat away to Las Palmas in La Liga. Despite being the away side, Atletico was the pre-game favourites, with pundits and Spanish football experts to take three points back to Madrid, but they suffered another slip-up. A goal from Morata on 83 minutes proved little more than a consolation for Atletico. The pressure is now on Madrid to get back to winning ways.
Bhoys off the mark
Wins continue to elude the Scottish champions, and they now have one point from a possible nine as we enter the second half of the six-game group campaign. The Bhoys are stuck to the bottom of Group E, and their chances of sneaking through in second place are fading fast. Anything less than three points from their trip to Madrid on Tuesday will likely spell the end of their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
Bet hereWhile Celtic will take heart from a draw at home to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and their opponent’s La Liga loss at the weekend, Brendan Rodgers’ side haven’t been too impressive in the Scottish Premiership. They beat Ross County 3-0 at the weekend but were far from convincing against a lowly opponent that played much of the game with ten men. Rodgers’ side needs a season-best performance to get anything from their trip to Spain.
Atletico Madrid v Celtic prediction
Atletico Madrid is the home team and will be cheered on by vocal support inside the stadium on Tuesday evening, which should make all the difference. The home support helped inspire Celtic to a big performance in Glasgow a fortnight ago, and the locals aim to match that in Madrid. Despite suffering an unexpected La Liga defeat in their most recent outing, Madrid has won four of their last five league games and remains within touching distance of the current leader, Girona.
Celtic went through the motions on Saturday against Ross Country, and Rodgers was able to shuffle his pack a little to rest some of his big game players. The Scottish champions arrive in Spain with confidence to burn, but they’re missing several regular starters, and a weakened lineup could be dragged across hot coals by a star-studded host. Atletico Madrid is the pundits’ pick, and they’re expected to get back to winning ways.
Champions League odds
22Bet members can wager on the outcome of Atletico Madrid v Celtic in the Champions League. Fancy the home win? You can back Atletico Madrid to claim all three points at odds of 1.304, while those who rate Celtic’s chances can back the away win at 9.5. The pair produced a four-goal draw in Glasgow, and another share of the spoils is 5.5.
In addition to predicting the winner of this Group E game at 22Bet, members will enjoy several eye-catching specials. These include both teams to score, handicap betting, half-time/full-time, first goalscorer, and more. There’s a market to suit even the fussiest gambler, and you can browse the options now before picking your preferred market.
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