Celtic vs Bodø/Glimt betting tips: Europa Conference League preview

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Celtic have won 18 of their last 26 European home matches. However, the Hoops had the worst defensive record in the Europa League group stages, conceding 15 times.

Celtic to win and both teams to score is 2/1.

Celtic to win and over 2.5 goals is 21/20.

Liel Abada has scored 14 times this season and would become the first Celtic player ever to score in six different competitions should he net here. The Israeli winger is 4/1 to break the deadlock and 21/20 to add to his tally.

Match preview

Celtic have played 402 matches in their long and storied European history, but this'll be a very first in the new UEFA Europa Conference League

Back in the Autumn, the Hoops battled to third place in their Europa League group, below Bayer Leverkusen and Real Betis but above Ferencváros.

In all, a lot has happened in Glasgow's east end since their first match of the season, a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland in mid-July.

Ange Postecoglou's side are unbeaten domestically in 25 outing, form that sees them sit top of the Premiership table, one clear of Rangers.

The Bhoys moved into first place by hammering their city rivals 3-0 at the start of this month with Reo Hatate bagging a brace in the demolition derby.

Despite winning an unprecedented quadruple-treble between 2017 and 2020, Celtic have not enjoyed much success in Europe of late.

The Celts' last European knockout phase win was way back in 2004, beating Barcelona, losing their subsequent eight ties at this stage.

Now though, in the third-tier competition, the 1967 European Cup winners and 2003 UEFA Cup finalists are eyeing another escapade to remember.

Bodø/Glimt meanwhile should not be underestimated.

The Yellow Horde were only promoted to Norway's top-flight for the first time ever in 2018 but are now back-to-back Eliteserien champions.

In 2020, they cruised to their first-ever title, finishing 19 points clear, before ending the last campaign just three points above Molde.

This season, after qualification victories over Valur Reykjavík, Prishtina and Žalgiris Vilnius, they made their debut in a UEFA group stage.

Once there, Bodø/Glimt made their presents felt, hammering Roma 6-1 at home and then drawing 2-2 at Stadio Olimpico a fortnight later.

Overall, Kjetil Knutsen's side went unbeaten, accumulating 12 points, finishing second to I Giallorossi but above CSKA Sofia and Zorya Luhansk.

However, Bodø/Glimt come into this tie having last played 71 days ago, back when they drew 1-1 with Zorya in Zaporizhzhia.

They kick off the new Norwegian league season against Rosenborg on 3 April, with a cup match against Aalesunds in the diary for 13 March.

Ahead of next Thursday's second leg in the Arctic Circle, will the Celtic Park faithful roar their team onto a first leg victory?

Celtic team news

Ange Postecoglou's team swatted aside Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup on Sunday and that game was used to rest and rotate some key players.

Josip Juranović will return at right-back after a short period out with illness.

Centre-back Christopher Jullien came off the bench in that one for his first appearance since New Years' Even 2020 due to a knee injury.

However, he's very unlikely to start this one with Carl Starfelt back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.

In midfield, Callum McGregor will return alongside Matt O'Riley and Reo Hatate, the latter has been a star since arriving from Kawasaki Frontale last month.

David Turnbull is still out with a hamstring injury while Tom Rogic has lost his place in the best XI to O'Riley.

Striker Kyōgo Furuhashi, who was a star in the first half of the season, is out but is hoping to be back soon.

Thus, Georgios Giakoumakis could lead the line, flanked by Jota and Liel Abada.

Yosuke Ideguchi will not feature as only three new players can be added to a UEFA squad after January: Hatate, O'Riley and Daizen Maeda.

Bodø/Glimt team news

Not only have Bodø/Glimt not played since early-December, Kjetil Knutsen's squad has been severely weakened by departures.

Defenders Fredrik André Bjørkan and Marius Lode, midfielder Patrick Berg and attackers Elias Hoff Melkersen and Erik Botheim have all left the club this winter.

Melkersen was actually on Hibernian's bench for the first time on Sunday in their cup tie at Arbroath.

These sales have seen them bring in around €10 million with very little being spent to replace them.

Gaute Høberg Vetti, Brice Wembangomo, Japhet Sery and Runar Espejord are the new arrivals who could all debut at Parkhead.

Of the players who've stayed, Ola Solbakken could be the danger man having scored five goals in Europe this season, including three against Roma.

Scottish Premiership table:

Eliteserien table:

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