Zenit vs Celtic: Hoops face tough Europa League test in Russia
Zenit vs Celtic: Hoops face tough Europa League test in Russia

Zenit vs Celtic: Hoops face tough Europa League test in Russia

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Odds: Zenit 57/100, Draw 3/1, Celtic 5/1

Kick Off: 1800, 22/02/2018

Stadium: Saint Petersburg Stadium

TV: BT Sport

Celtic will take a 1-0 advantage to Russia but Zenit’s impressive home record means this Europa League tie looks finely balanced.

Callum McGregor’s late strike at Parkhead gave the Hoops a deserved success in Glasgow, where the visitors looked rusty early on after a winter break.

However, we expect to see a much sharper performance from the 2008 champions this time and reckon 6/5 for the hosts to progress is fair value for our Zenit vs Celtic betting predictions.

A Look At Zenit St Petersburg’s Betting Odds

Zenit have won 11 of their last 13 home games in European competition, including a convincing treble during this season’s group stage.

Roberto Mancini’s side beat both Real Sociedad and Rosenborg 3-1 here, before seeing off Vardar Skopje 2-1, with Argentina midfielder Emiliano Rigoni netting five of those goals.

Striker Aleksandr Kokorin, capped 48 times by Russia, is another player to watch out for, having hit 15 goals in 26 appearances for the club this term.

Reflecting on last week’s clash, Mancini commented: “We need to improve for the second game, but the result is not a big problem – 1-0 is a score we can change. We can play better, we can be more attack-minded.”

Looking at the Zenit vs Celtic odds, we like 7/5 for a home win and over 2.5 goals in the game.

A Look At Celtic’s Betting Odds

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was delighted to keep a clean sheet on home turf but is also now predicting an open contest in Russia.

He said: “We know we can score goals and they probably need to come out a little bit more now to chase the game.”

The Hoops do have the attacking firepower to trouble Zenit again, but recent domestic performances have been a touch shaky at the back, losing 1-0 at Kilmarnock and only beating Partick 3-2 in the cup.

With travel sickness often proving a problem in Europe in the past, we’re taking 23/2 for a 3-1 home win in our Zenit vs Celtic betting tips.

Additional stats

First-leg result:

CELTIC 1-0 ZENIT – Callum McGregor

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Best bets for Zenit vs Celtic

Zenit to go through @ 6/5

Zenit to win and over 2.5 goals in the game @ 7/5

Zenit to win 3-1 @ 23/2

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