Europa League
2025-09-24 - Crvena Zvezda vs Celtic
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Europa League
Wednesday 24th September 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Crvena Zvezda
They continue to operate as the best team playing in Serbia and Crvena Zvezda underlined the point this past weekend when beating rivals Partizan 1-2 away from home. Attention now turns to Europe as the team look to bounce back from what was a disappointing exit in the Champions League in the last of the Qualifying ties.
Thirteen months ago, Crvena Zvezda had to win one tie to earn their place in the Champions League Group Stage and they got the better of Bodo/Glimt. The run was always going to be tougher this time around with the team being asked to begin in the Second Qualifying Round, but Crvena Zvezda made relatively light work of the first two opponents before becoming the latest to be upset by Pafos, the Cypriot Champions.
Crvena Zvezda were beaten 1-2 at home by Pafos in the Play Off Round First Leg and could only draw in Cyprus, but they have have responded to win 3 in a row in the domestic League. This has helped them move back to the top of the table, while Crvena Zvezda have won 6 of their last 8 home games in all competitions.
Celtic
There hasn't been much happiness on either side of Glasgow in the opening weeks of the new season, although Celtic's situation looks far the superior to rivals Rangers. Brendan Rodgers knows his team are favourites to win all of the trophies domestically, but he was frustrated by the poor summer of recruitment and so many believe that is why Celtic are not playing in the Champions League instead of the Europa League.
Being drawn against Kairat Almaty, the Kazakhstan Champions, looked ideal for Celtic having reached the Knock Out Rounds of the Champions League last season. However, two goalless draws and a Penalty Shoot Out defeat dumped Celtic out of the Champions League and into the Europa League instead. The Bhoys did not make it out of the last Europa League they were involved in, although this is a new format and failure to make the Knock Out Rounds would be seen as a serious disappointment.
Celtic have won 6 of 9 games in all competitions this season and have drawn the other 3, but two of those were against Kairat Almaty and the other in the first Old Firm derby. They have won at Kilmarnock, controversially, and at Partick Thistle in the Scottish League Cup since back to back goalless draws in away games at Kairat Almaty and Rangers.
A number of players are not expected to travel with the squad for this opening Europa League game and that only stretches what looks to be a weaker group of players than the one that Brendan Rodgers was overseeing last season.
Head to Head
These two clubs last met all the way back in the 1968/69 European Cup in a tie that was won 6-2 on aggregate by Celtic.
Prediction
There have been plenty of negative headlines around Celtic after the extremely poor exit to Kairat Almaty in the Champions League.
Instead of facing some of the elite European Clubs, Celtic will have to take part in the Europa League, although the draw has thrown up some interesting ties through to the end of January.
This could be a competition that Celtic could have a serious impact, but fans have been frustrated by the recruitment and even manager Brendan Rodgers has voiced his disappointment.
A number of players will not be travelling on Wednesday and this is a significant test against a Crvena Zvezda team that are leading the way domestically, but who also suffered an upset in exiting the Champions League before the Group Stage.
Like Celtic, the hosts played in the Champions League Group last season and so will have to dust themselves down now they have to compete at a lower level.
Crvena Zvezda are playing in front of a passionate home crowd though and that can help in this opening fixture. They have only won 3 of their last 11 home games in European competition, but Crvena Zvezda are hosting a poor travelling Celtic team and that can help give the home team the edge.
The Pick :
Crvena Zvezda 2-1 Celtic
