The Matchday 7 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Celtic (Scotland) and Young Boys (Switzerland) will take place on January 22 at Celtic Park in Glasgow. Celtic vs. Young Boys: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 40;
Average yellow cards per match – 5;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 25%.
Predicted lineups for Celtic vs. Young Boys
Celtic (4-3-3): Kasper Schmeichel – Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston – Arne Engels, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate – Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi.
Young Boys (4-3-3): David von Ballmoos – Lewin Blum, Ali Camara, Loris Benito, Jowan Hadjam – Filip Ugrinic, Lukasz Lakomy, Kastriot Imeri – Alan Virginius, Joel Monteiro, Cedric Itten.
Celtic
Brendan Rodgers' side drew 0-0 away to Dinamo Zagreb in the last round. As a result, Celtic extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to four matches (1 win, 3 draws). The team has accumulated nine points, placing them 21st in the standings. Notably, seven of these points were earned at home, ranking them above all but six clubs in this regard.
Forward James Forrest will miss the match due to injury.
- The team has not lost in regular time in their last five home matches in the Champions League (3 wins, 2 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the last 6 home matches in this European competition.
- The number "1" has appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in 6 of Celtic's last 7 home matches in the Champions League.
Young Boys
In the last round, the Swiss team suffered a heavy 1-5 defeat away to Stuttgart. As a result, Young Boys have lost six consecutive matches in the Champions League and are one of only three teams without points in the group stage. Furthermore, they have the worst goal difference (3:22) and sit at the bottom of the standings. The club no longer has a chance to reach the playoffs.
Defender Saidy Janko will not play due to injury. Notably, after the last round, the team appointed a new coach – Giorgio Contini.
- The club has not won in regular time in 10 of their last 11 away matches in the Champions League (3 draws, 7 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 6 of the last 7 away matches in this European competition.
- The Swiss have conceded at least two goals in regular time in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Champions League.
Celtic vs. Young Boys: Match Prediction
With the support of their fans, the Scots play confidently and spend a lot of time on the attack, regularly creating chances. As a result, Celtic often find the back of the net: in their last 18 home matches in the Champions League, they have failed to score only twice, and that was against strong opponents – Real Madrid and Leipzig. However, they have not kept a clean sheet in their last 11 home matches in this European competition.
Young Boys, even away, try to showcase their attacking prowess. While positive results are rare, the Swiss team scores regularly: in their last seven away matches in the Champions League, they failed to score only against Manchester City and Barcelona. However, in the same period, Young Boys conceded 19 goals and kept just one clean sheet.
I expect both teams to score in this match, so my prediction: Both teams to score – yes
