Celtic’s home comforts suggest smooth win over Hapoel Be’er Sheva

Celtic made it a fantastic five successive home wins in the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Kazakh heavyweights Astana a fortnight ago – and they’re set to make it a super six when the hard-working but limited Hapoel Be’er Sheva arrive at Celtic Park.

The visitors haven’t won an away game in Europe since 2004, with just a single victory in their past eight continental trips – a run which has included a 10-1 defeat at the hands of Dutch side Roda JC.

That’s in stark contrast to the Hoops, who have won six of their past seven Champions League clashes on home soil, including victory over former European Cup finalists Malmo FF and a 4-0 demolition of Icelandic side KR Reykjavik.

And the Hoops have already found their feet under boss Brendan Rodgers this season, with a 5-0 League Cup demolition of Motherwell, three European victories on the spin and a crucial 2-1 Ladbrokes Premiership win at Heart of Midlothian.

Meanwhile, Hapoel are balancing a hugely hectic domestic calendar with their fifth European game of the season, and combined with their ageing squad, the Israeli champions could lack the legs to deal with Leigh Griffiths, Patrick Roberts et al.

Celtic definitely look the best selection in the match betting, with 3/5 for a home victory, while it’s 13/5 for the draw and 5/1 for a shock Hapoel win.

However, the best bet could be on Celtic to win to nil at 11/8, with the men from Be’er Sheva having never scored on their travels in the Champions League.

For those looking to back a goalscorer, Moussa Dembele has netted three times in as many competitive games for Celtic, meaning he looks well worth backing to score anytime at 17/10.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing