THE Champions League has brought more misery for Celtic this season and they finish their Group E campaign looking for some long-overdue cheer against Feyenoord.
It's a decade since the Hoops last gave their fans a win to cheer in Europe's top-tier competition, although some of their best performances this season have come at Parkhead in the Champions League.
Only a tight VAR call and a last-gasp Lazio goal broke their hearts against the Serie A side and Brendan Rodgers' side twice took the lead against Atletico Madrid in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
The final game is a dead rubber with Feyenoord guaranteed to finish third and the Hoops doomed to prop up the table but Celtic need a response after their dismal display at Kilmarnock on Sunday.
That trip to Rugby Park was a potential banana skin and Rodgers' side slipped up spectacularly as they blew a half-time lead to lose 2-1 in a game where all my recommended tips landed.
Feyenoord's recent form also hasn't been great, with Arne Slot's side following up their crushing 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid with a 2-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven on domestic duty.
But they bounced back with a 3-1 win over Volendam in their last game and will be fresh for Parkhead, having not played at the weekend. Slot's side can play with the pressure off and it will be interesting to see if the Feyenoord boss fields a full-strength team.
How the bookies view it
With Celtic having such a dismal home record in the Champions League, it's no great surprise to see them as 11/5 outsiders at Bet365. Feyenoord's best price is 5/4 at Midnite while the draw pays 14/5 at BetUK.
Head to head
Celtic's 2-0 defeat at De Kuip in the Group E opener was their first meeting with Feyenoord since losing 2-1 to the Dutch side in the 1970 European Cup Final.
Players to watch
Rodgers dropped star player Kyogo Furhuhashi on Sunday and started with Oh Hyeon-gyu up front instead but might be tempted to bring back the Japanese striker for this game as he has netted twice in the group stage. Kyogo looks low on confidence but seems to come alive on big European nights and is 2/1 at Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Celtic didn't have to worry about Santiago Gimenez in Rotterdam as he missed the group opener due to suspension. The in-demand Mexican will be out to impress and looks good value at 6/4 with Bet365 for a goal provided he isn't rested.
Anything else catch the eye?
Even though this is a dead rubber I'm expecting a decent game as Celtic will be desperate to get that Champions League monkey off their back. We've seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals in all their group games at Parkhead and combining those picks in a Bet365 bet builder pays 20/23. Over 1.5 first-half goals also appeals at 6/4 with Paddy Power.
Two red cards cost Celtic dearly in Rotterdam but I'd be surprised if this was an equally busy night for the ref. Feyenoord won't want to pick up cards as they drop down to the Europa League so try backing the Hoops for most cards at evens with Unibet.
SkyBet have some good stats bets and the 11/4 on Celtic skipper Callum McGregor committing over 1.5 fouls looks good as he's always at the heart of the midfield battle. Matt O'Riley is Celtic's top scorer this season but has yet to net in Europe. He's 11/10 at Unibet just to have a shot on target here and that looks good value.
This UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Feyenoord will be played on Dec 13, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs Feyenoord prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
