Celtic — Beşiktaş 3:2: result, goals and stats

Celtic welcome Beşiktaş to Celtic Park for a Europa League league-phase fixture that has the feel of a last stand for the Scottish champions. Martin O’Neill’s side have lost all three of their opening matches and sit 35th in the 36-team table, with only Ararat-Armenia keeping them off the bottom. Beşiktaş, by contrast, arrive unbeaten and eighth on seven points, yet the Turkish giants travel to Glasgow with their own anxieties after surrendering a two-goal lead at Kasımpaşa and with captain Orkun Kökçü still short of full fitness.

Celtic’s European Nadir

The numbers make grim reading for the Hoops. Three matches, three defeats, nine goals conceded and just three scored, following a 3:1 home loss to Ferencváros, a 4:1 rout at Benfica and a 2:1 defeat to Celta Vigo at Celtic Park. It is Celtic’s worst European run since four successive Champions League defeats between October and December 2017, and the domestic picture, while brighter, is not without cracks: a 2:0 defeat at Falkirk on Sunday was their sixth loss in ten matches across all competitions, even if they remain four points clear at the top of the Premiership.

O’Neill has admitted he does not yet know his best starting XI after a summer of squad changes and injuries, and he has conceded that “statistically speaking, any team who’s lost their first three games haven’t made it through”. He insists his side are still capable of qualifying, but the margin for error has effectively vanished. Mika Baur has scored two of Celtic’s three league-phase goals, with Camilo Duran adding the other and leading the domestic scoring charts.

Beşiktaş’s Continental Contrast

Beşiktaş have been a different proposition in Europe. A 4:1 demolition of Marseille was followed by a 3:2 win at Hoffenheim and a 2:2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, a match in which Junior Olaitan equalised before Ümit Akdağ was sent off. The Black Eagles have scored nine goals in three league-phase matches and have won seven of their nine European fixtures this season, including qualifying.

The concern is their away form and their recent domestic wobble. Vincenzo Italiano’s side have won just four of nine away games in all competitions this season, and they have lost two of their last five in the Süper Lig, leaving them six points adrift of Galatasaray. The collapse at Kasımpaşa, where they led 2:0 through Leandro Trossard and Dušan Vlahović before conceding twice, drew a scathing assessment from an opponent who labelled some of their players “arrogant” and “superstars” on the pitch. Italiano himself admitted: “We gave the match away from a 2-0 lead… there was a lack of concentration, and our rhythm dropped.”

The Treatment Room and the Key Absences

Celtic’s injury list is lengthy and consequential. Alistair Johnston remains out with a hamstring problem and is not expected to feature before the international break, leaving Colby Donovan as the likely right-back. Kieran Tierney picked up knocks against Falkirk and will be assessed, while Yang Hyun-jun is back in training after a hamstring issue but this game comes too soon. Jota is unavailable as he is not registered for the Europa League squad, and Oliver Sørensen’s participation is in doubt for personal reasons.

Beşiktaş are without Fabio Miretti, who is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against Crystal Palace, and Ümit Akdağ, who is suspended following his red card in the same match. Orkun Kökçü has returned to the squad after a foot injury but is expected to start on the bench, with the coaching staff hoping to reintroduce him gradually ahead of the Gençlerbirliği fixture. Ernest Poku has recovered from illness, while Milot Rashica is a doubt.

The Shapes and the Key Battles

Celtic are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Sam Johnstone in goal, Donovan, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Tierney or Lotomba across the back. Callum McGregor and Baur should form the double pivot, with Benjamin Nygren as the advanced playmaker and Haissem Hassan and Callum Osmand providing width around Duran. O’Neill must decide whether to persist with the Scales-Carter-Vickers partnership that has conceded nine goals in three European games.

Beşiktaş are likely to field Alexander Nübel in goal, with Amir Murillo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Emirhan Topçu and Rıdvan Yılmaz in defence. Wilfred Ndidi and Salih Özcan should anchor the midfield, with Olaitan, Trossard and Václav Cerný supporting Vlahović. The Serbian striker has seven Süper Lig goals but has yet to score in Europe for his new club.

The Numbers and What They Say

This is the first competitive meeting between the clubs, and only the third time Celtic have faced Turkish opposition, having drawn both previous encounters with Fenerbahçe in the 2015-16 Europa League. Beşiktaş are the more likely winners, with a 43% chance of victory against 31% for Celtic and 25% for a draw. A likely score is Celtic 1:2 Beşiktaş, a reflection of the visitors’ attacking output and Celtic’s defensive frailties. The total line of 2.5 goals points to an open contest, and both sides’ recent matches have produced goals at both ends.

What Is at Stake

For Celtic, three points are the only outcome that keeps their campaign alive. Defeat would leave them with zero points from four matches and effectively end their hopes of reaching the play-offs, while deepening the scrutiny on O’Neill and a squad that has looked short of confidence and cohesion in Europe. A victory would not solve every problem, but it would restore a measure of belief before a demanding domestic sequence.

For Beşiktaş, a result at Celtic Park would consolidate their place in the top eight and confirm that their European campaign is built on something more durable than a favourable run of fixtures. Defeat would leave them looking over their shoulder and raise fresh questions about their ability to travel under Italiano. The evening in Glasgow carries consequences that extend well beyond the 90 minutes.

Preview prepared from the match data · 4 November