Celtic to effectively end Kalju tie in first leg

Celtic welcome Nomme Kalju to Glasgow in the second round of Champions League qualification, having beaten Sarajevo 5-2 on aggregate in the last stage. Newly appointed permanent manager, Neil Lennon, has previous European success with the club and will be looking to emulate that this season. Kalju will be no match for his extremely domestically decorated lineup, expect a strong Hoops side to aim to end the tie in the first leg in order to eradicate a potentially tricky trip to Estonia for the second match.

Nomme Kalju

Currently sitting fourth in the Estonian top flight they only reached this stage on away goals. They lost the first meeting of their tie with Shkendija 1-0 at home, but managed to recover by winning 2-1 in North Macedonia to book their place in the second round. Goals from defender, Maximiliano Ugge and Ellinton Liliu, got them over the line, however they have struggled in the league of late without a win in four and have only scored twice in their last three fixtures. If they are to take anything from Celtic Park, serious questions will be asked about the Neil Lennon’s capabilities, having been a recent enforced replacement following Brendan Rodgers’ departure.

Osdonne Edouard

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has impressed since his move to the Hoops for £9.27 million with 22 goals last term, totaling his record at 34 strikes in 83 appearances. He netted the second in the crucial 3-1 victory in Bosnia helping his sides’ progression. With 13 assists to go with that his strengths lie in creation as well, which could be key on Wednesday in playing the likes of Callum McGregor with the visitors being expected to put in a resilient back to the wall effort.

Lennon’s Champions League pedigree

The best European run in Celtic’s recent history came in the 2012/13 campaign where they beat Barcelona in the group stage in finishing second, before being knocked out by Juventus in the round of 16. The Northern Irishman was in charge from 2010-14 before leaving to manage Bolton Wanderers and is a very popular figure around the city. In his first season in Europe back as gaffer, it will be a priority given their Scottish Premier League prowess, having now won eight league titles on the trot.

Celtic will come through this leg of the tie in flying colours and set up a simple task to maintain in the second leg. The team will look to impress the home crowd ahead of a more competitive domestic campaign.

Celtic – Nomme Kalju Betting Tip

Celtic to Win to Nil + Celtic to Score Over 1.5 goals with Betway at odds of 13/25.

Bet Celtic to Win to Nil + Celtic to Score Over 1.5 goals on Betway