Bet of the day: Griffiths to net in successful Celtic Champions League qualifier
Robbie Purves | July 27, 2016
Coral’s bet of the day
- Griffiths scored 40 goals last term in all comps
- Celtic had the best away league record last season
- Bhoys won their previous fixture with ease
Griffiths to score in Celtic win 5/1
Leigh Griffiths is a scoring machine and finished last term with 40 goals in all competitions. The Celtic star looked deadly in the club’s previous Champions League qualifier against Lincoln Red Imps at Celtic Park, and managed to find the net. Combine this with the fact that Bhoys had the best away record in the Scottish League last year, and you have a recipe for a routine win.
Coral have the Scottish Champions 5/1 to win, with Griffiths netting against Astana (max stake £20). The Kazakh side are without a victory in five Champions League group games and Hoops will hope to take a great result back to Glasgow.
Hoops to win wings
Celtic possess exceptional talent in wide positions. Patrick Roberts has excelled since he arrived in Scotland from Manchester City last year, and has visible quality on the ball. He started the Bhoys last match on the left flank and will now come up against Igor Shitov. The 29-year-old is a consistent performer for the Kazakhs, but can be exposed by raw pace.
Another valuable asset that completes Celtic’s attacking trio is Moussa Dembele. The highly rated forward was courted by huge clubs such as Manchester United before moving to Glasgow, and scored 17 goals in all competitions last season. He can play up top or on the flanks and will cause Astana’s defence real problems.
Astana are seven points clear of Kairat in this season’s Kazakh Premier League campaign, but don’t let that fool you. The league’s quality is poor and the club is by far the richest and well resourced side in Kazakhstan, with the league a procession the last two years. This could be said for Celtic as well, but the Glasgow side possesses the quality to cause most sides problems.