BAYER LEVERKUSEN will look to secure qualification to the Europa League knockout stages when they welcome Celtic to the BayArena on Thursday evening.
Currently top of Group E with 10 points to their name, Leverkusen will set out to wrap up first place in the section when the Scottish giants come to town.
Gerardo Seoane's side have seen their blistering start to the Bundesliga season slowed, winning just one of their last five German top-flight fixtures.
That said, Die Werkself did manage to snap a four-game winless run with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over VFL Bochum on Saturday.
Celtic, meanwhile, will roll into the eastern bank of the Rhine riding a crest of a wave after booking a place in the Scottish League Cup final by overcoming holders St Johnstone at Hampden on Saturday.
The Hoops have put themselves firmly in contention for a top-two finish in the pool following a pair of wins over Ferencvaros, but it will be fair to say that there will be a huge step up in class here.
Outright Betting
Bayer Leverkusen are 17/35 favourites with SBK to make it three Group E home wins on the spin, an outcome that would assure the hosts of a place in the knockout stages.
Celtic haven't lost since suffering a 4-0 pasting from Leverkusen at Parkhead back in September but the Bhoys head into this bout as big underdogs at 26/5 (SBK) while the draw is also deemed unlikely at 37/10 (SBK) with the same bookmaker.
Betting Angles
Bayer Leverkusen are worthy favourites here but they are unlikely to have things as easy this time around so I'm going to steer clear of the outright betting.
Instead, I'll delve into the team corner market and snap up the 10/11 on offer with UniBet for Celtic to hit four or more corners at the BayArena.
Granted, the Glasgow guests will be up against the odds in Germany, but Celtic attacking with ravenous intent has quickly become customary under new boss Ange Postecoglou's stewardship.
The former Socceroos chief is unlikely to waver on his high-risk philosophy on Thursday evening given that Celtic may need to take something from the game to keep their knockout hopes alive.
The high-octane Hoops are averaging lofty 8.54 corners per-game in the Scottish top-flight this season, but it's also worth noting that Celtic have hit a minimum of six flagkicks in each of their four Europa League Group E games so far.
With that in mind, coupled with the dynamics of the pool, I'm more than happy to back the Bhoys to cover the over 3.5 corner line in Leverkusen on Thursday evening.
I'll also dip into the player card market and take the 11/4 on offer with UniBet for Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton to be booked.
The Israeli anchorman, who was cautioned against St Johnstone last time out, has a habit of getting stuck in and he could have his hands full here if tasked with keeping tabs on Germany's latest teenage sensation Florian Wirtz.
This UEFA Europa League match between Bayer Leverkusen and Celtic will be played on Nov 25, 2021 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bayer Leverkusen vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
