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Celtic will look to avoid the struggles of last season when they meet Qarabag in the Champions League qualifying third round.
The Scots were dreadful last year in Champions League, being demolished by Legia Warsaw before given an extra chance with a default win granted by UEFA – but that chance was blown against Maribor in the next round. Celtic seems better this season and they looked very good in friendlies, but surely the hosts will not underestimate their Azeri opponents. Celtic defeated Icelandic champions Stjarnan with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline in the previous round.
Qarabag (also known as Karabakh) is also in the off-season break, but, like Celtic, they already played an European tie, winning 1-0 aggregate against Rudar in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. Qarabag clearly deserved to win that tie and could have won it more comfortably, but it was overall a disappointing performance from the Azeri Champions, who were expected to do better.
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Team news: Charlie Mulgrew and Callum McGregor will miss the game for Celtic, while Karabakh is expected to field the same lineup as in the reverse leg against Rudar.
Qarabag does have some talented players up front, but they are essentially a disciplined, well organized team and will surely visit Scotland with the intention of defending. It will be tough for Celtic to break down their opponents and I`m sure that the hosts will not take too many risks after what happened last year in Champions League.
Look for both lineups to approach the game in a cautious, risk – free manner. We should see the ball mostly in midfield and goal scoring chances will likely be hard to find over the course of 90 minutes. A close game is expected, so I will bet on the under / over market here and my tip is under 2,5 goals to be scored. Medium – high stakes investment for me, odds are dropping on this bet. Prediction: Celtic – Qarabag 1-0.
Pick: under 2,5
Odds: 1.76 @ Unibet
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 5.32
Event date: 29 July
