Real Betis vs. Celtic 9/16/21 UEFA Europa League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Real Betis and Celtic face off in the first game of Group G of the Europa League on Thursday at Benito Villamarín Stadium.

Real Betis comes into this match sitting in 9th place in La Liga having picked up five points. Real Betis has been a little inconsistent this season, but they are coming off a big win in their last game against Granada. Real Betis scored two goals including the goal in the 89th minute by Sergio Canales to seal the three points. Even though Betis gave up a goal, they only allowed two shots on goal, and they did a good job of controlling the ball. Over the last four games, Real Betis has scored only four goals total, but their defense has kept them in games. This is a team that lost to Real Madrid 1-0. 

On the other side of this matchup is Celtic FC  who sit in 5th place in the Scottish Premiership having picked up nine points in five games. Celtic’s last game came against Ross Country and it was a dominating performance. Cameron Carter-Vickers opened up the scoring in the 64th minute and Albien Ajeti added goals in the 70th and 85th minute. Celtic had 21 shots total with eight shots going on target. They also had 78 percent of the possession and in this game, they need to keep the possession. Two games ago against the Rangers, the Celtics couldn’t get on the board and that led to the 1-0 defeat. 

Real Betis is a strong defensive team, showcased by their game against Real Madrid where they gave up only one goal. I also believe Celtic will be strong with their defense, and points are going to be very hard to come by in this game. Back the under to cash.