CELTIC have hit their stride again in the SPFL Premiership but the Champions League continues to bring them heartache and the Hoops will need to be at their best to stand a chance against in-form Atletico Madrid.
This is a must-win game for the Brendan Rodgers' side if they're to have any hope of reaching the knockout stages after losing their first two Group E matches to Feyenoord and Lazio.
Celtic played well last time out against the Serie A side and took a deserved lead through Kyogo Furuhashi but Lazio quickly levelled then pinched a 2-1 win in the dying seconds thanks to a header from Pedro.
Displays were patchy in their first few weeks of the season as the squad adapted to Rodgers' methods after gaffer Ange Postecoglou jumped ship for Spurs. But the Irishman is starting to work his magic again and the Hoops were superb at the weekend in a 4-1 win at Hearts that brought up another Slips Tips bet builder.
Atletico Madrid will present a far stiffer challenge though and Diego Simeone's side head to Glasgow full of confidence after spanking Celta Vigo 3-0 in La Liga.
That made it seven wins in nine La Liga games for Atletico, an impressive run that included a 3-1 derby victory over Real Madrid, with our man Gabriel cashing in with a goals bet.
Simeone's side have also started well in the Champions League, with a 1-1 draw in Rome followed by a thrilling 3-2 victory over Feyenoord at the Wanda Metropolitano. Next up is a double-header with Celtic and Atletico Madrid will be looking for maximum points as they bid to tie up a place in the knockout stages.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Celtic as 14/5 outsiders with BetUK given they've gone a decade without winning at home in the Champions League group stage. Atletico Madrid look decent value at evens with the same firm while the draw pays 14/5 at SpreadEx.
Head to head
There's bad blood between these clubs after Atletico beat Celtic in the European Cup semi-finals back in 1974, a game that descended into violence. The teams have met twice since then and the Hoops have yet to get their revenge, with four defeats and two draws in the overall head to head. They last faced off in the Europa League group stage back in 2011 and Atletico won 2-0 in Spain before edging a 1-0 victory in Glasgow.
Players to watch
Matt O'Riley continued his stunning start to the season by volleying home a brilliant opener in the weekend win over Hearts. That made it six goals in 12 games this season and he's 13/2 at BetUK for another strike here. The Danish international set up Kyogo's goal in the last Champions League game and is 10/3 at Bet365 for another assist.
Antoine Griezmann heads to Celtic Park with his confidence soaring after scoring a hat-trick in the weekend win over Celta. The Frenchman is 37/20 at Unibet for anytime scorer and Bet365 price him at 9/4 for an assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
No side bossed by Simeone backs out of a challenge and we could see a few tasty tackles. Unibet price over 2.5 Atletico cards at 33/20 and I like the 18/5 on offer at the same firm for Cesar Azpilcueta to go into the book.
Celtic need to go for it and it has the makings of an open game. Bet365 have some interesting prices for shots on target and Reo Hatate looks overpriced at 5/2 to test the keeper as he's usually at the heart of Celtic's attacks.
This UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Atletico Madrid will be played on Oct 25, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
In December 2020 we sadly 
Good spot with Hatate 5/2 is a big price .
O’Reilly odds-against in that market too but I was tempted by big price for Hatate. Just hope his long-range shooting is better than his penalties in this game