Celtic host Besiktas at Celtic Park on Thursday night in the UEFA Europa League, in a first-ever meeting between the clubs. Besiktas arrive eighth in the league phase with seven points and unbeaten in three European games, while Celtic are 35th with no points from three defeats.
This Celtic vs Besiktas prediction matters for bettors because the European form gap is stark: Besiktas are unbeaten in Europe and chasing a third win, while Celtic lost 2-0 at Falkirk in their last game and are still searching for a first European point.
Celtic vs Besiktas Match Preview
Celtic’s recent run has been poor: a 2-0 defeat at Falkirk and a 2-2 draw with Dundee United followed a 2-1 win at Hibernian, with a 2-1 Europa League defeat to Celta Vigo and a 7-1 win over Hearts before that. Besiktas, meanwhile, drew 2-2 at Kasimpasa in their last game after a 2-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir, a 2-2 Europa League draw with Crystal Palace, a 2-0 defeat at Trabzonspor and a 3-2 Europa League win at Hoffenheim.
Team Recent Form
Celtic (most recent first): L-D-W-L-W — Falkirk 2-0 Celtic (Scottish Premiership); Celtic 2-2 Dundee United (Scottish Premiership); Hibernian 1-2 Celtic (Scottish Premiership); Celtic 1-2 Celta Vigo (Europa League); Celtic 7-1 Hearts (Scottish Premiership).
Besiktas (most recent first): D-W-D-L-W — Kasimpasa 2-2 Besiktas (Turkish Super Lig); Besiktas 2-0 Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkish Super Lig); Besiktas 2-2 Crystal Palace (Europa League); Trabzonspor 2-0 Besiktas (Turkish Super Lig); Hoffenheim 2-3 Besiktas (Europa League).
Key Stats
- Besiktas are unbeaten in the Europa League this season with seven points from three games, while Celtic have lost all three and sit 35th with no points.
- Celtic have conceded in four of their last five games, including seven goals in their three Europa League games.
- Besiktas have scored in all five of their last five games, and Dusan Vlahovic leads their Super Lig scoring with seven goals.
1-2 is our correct-score prediction: Besiktas’s unbeaten European run should carry them through in Glasgow, but Celtic’s home scoring and 7-1 win over Hearts show they should find the net at least once.
Celtic vs Besiktas H2H
This is the first-ever meeting between Celtic and Besiktas in any competition, so there is no head-to-head history to draw on. Celtic have faced Turkish opposition only twice before, drawing home and away with Fenerbahce in 2015.
Pre Game Odds
- Celtic win: 3.10
- Draw: 3.70
- Besiktas win: 2.15
Odds via BetMines (checked 3 Nov 2026), pre-match and subject to change.
Team News Celtic
Celtic are without Alistair Johnston (hamstring setback) and Yang Hyun-jun. Jota is not in the UEFA squad and cannot feature, while Kieran Tierney is a doubt after picking up knocks against Falkirk. Cameron Carter-Vickers returned against Falkirk. The status of Auston Trusty and Joel van den Berg was not settled between the sources checked and neither is stated as out here.
Predicted Celtic XI (predicted only, not confirmed): Johnstone; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Baur, McGregor; Duran, Nygren, Tounekti; Hogh.
Team News Besiktas
Besiktas are without captain Orkun Kokcu (heel/plantar fascia issue, out until after the international break), Fabio Miretti (shoulder, out until late November) and Ernest Poku. Centre-back Umit Akdag is suspended after his red card against Crystal Palace. Vaclav Cerny is treated as available in the latest previews.
Predicted Besiktas XI (predicted only, not confirmed): Nubel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Cerny, Olaitan, Ozcan, Ndidi, Trossard; Vlahovic.
Celtic vs Besiktas Betting Tips
Tip 1 – Result: Besiktas win. Tip 2 – Over-Under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals. Tip 3 – BTTS Yes-No: Both teams to score – Yes.
Besiktas’s unbeaten European run should see them through at Celtic Park, but Celtic’s home scoring means the hosts should score even in defeat.
For more previews, see our Matches archive, and check the UEFA Europa League for fixture details.
Celtic vs Besiktas prediction
Our Celtic vs Besiktas prediction is Besiktas win, with over 2.5 goals and both teams to score among the tips above.
