Celtic vs Beşiktaş prediction, team news and preview

Celtic vs Beşiktaş: what the match decides

Celtic host Beşiktaş at Celtic Park on Thursday 5 November 2026 in the fourth round of the Europa League League Stage. The two sit at opposite ends of the 36-team table, so the match decides a great deal for the home side in particular.

Celtic are 35th with no points from three games, a goal difference of minus 6 (3 scored, 9 conceded). Beşiktaş are eighth on 7 points after two wins and a draw, with 9 goals scored, 5 conceded and a goal difference of plus 4. Benfica lead the table on 9 points, so the visitors are within two points of the top.

The short answer to the main question: Beşiktaş arrive in much better European form, but Celtic's home scoring record and the open nature of both sides' recent matches make this closer than the table suggests.

Celtic and Beşiktaş recent form

Celtic's last five games read WLWDL: two wins, one draw and two defeats, with 12 goals scored (2.4 per game) and 8 conceded (1.6 per game). They have not kept a clean sheet in that run, failed to score once, and both teams scored in four of the five. A 7-1 win over Heart Of Midlothian sits beside a 1-2 home loss to Celta Vigo and a 0-2 defeat at Falkirk on 1 November.

At home Celtic have played three of those five, winning one, drawing one and losing one. They scored 10 and conceded 5, an average of 3.33 for and 1.67 against, and all three games had more than 2.5 goals.

Beşiktaş's last five read WLDWD: two wins, two draws and one defeat, with 9 scored (1.8 per game) and 8 conceded (1.6 per game). They have one clean sheet, one game without a goal and three matches with both sides scoring. Their most recent outing was a 2-2 draw at Kasımpaşa.

Away from home the picture is less solid. In their three away games they won one, drew one and lost one, scoring 5 and conceding 6, which is 1.67 scored and 2.00 conceded per game. That run includes a 3-2 win at 1899 Hoffenheim and a 0-2 loss at Trabzonspor.

Celtic vs Beşiktaş team news

Celtic have seven players listed as out. A. Johnston is out with a leg injury and Yang Hyun-Jun with a hamstring injury. A. Trusty is listed as inactive, while L. Emenalo, Jota, S. Mheuka and J. van den Berg are listed as off the roster. No doubtful players are reported in our data.

Beşiktaş have five players out. U. Akdag is suspended after a red card, O. Kokcu has a foot injury and F. Miretti a shoulder injury. C. Keles and M. Rashica are listed as off the roster. No doubtful players are reported either.

Line-ups are not yet published in our data. They are confirmed about an hour before kick-off, and this section will reflect them once they are available.

Celtic vs Beşiktaş storylines

For Celtic, the story is a start that has gone wrong. Three defeats in three leave them 35th, and the latest home European result was the 1-2 loss to Celta Vigo on 22 October. Domestically the picture is mixed: a 7-1 win over Hearts was followed by a 2-2 draw with Dundee Utd and then the defeat at Falkirk.

Beşiktaş have unbeaten European form, with DWW in the League Stage, and they hold a position that our data places in a qualifying zone. Their domestic form is less steady, with a 0-2 loss at Trabzonspor and a draw at Kasımpaşa either side of a 2-0 win over Başakşehir.

The match can change a lot for both. A win would lift Beşiktaş towards the leaders, while Celtic need their first points to stay in contention in a table where every round counts.

Where Celtic vs Beşiktaş will be decided

The clearest battle is Celtic's home attack against Beşiktaş's away defence. Celtic average 3.33 goals at home, and Beşiktaş concede 2.00 per game on their travels. If that pattern holds, Celtic should create enough to score.

The reverse is just as relevant. Celtic have not kept a clean sheet in their last five and concede 1.67 per game at home, while Beşiktaş have scored in four of their last five. Both sides look capable of scoring, which points towards an open game rather than a cautious one.

Squad depth could matter too. Celtic are missing seven players and Beşiktaş five, including a suspended player. How each manager reshapes the team around those gaps may decide who controls the tempo.

Celtic vs Beşiktaş head-to-head

No previous meetings between the two clubs are included in our data, so we cannot give a head-to-head record, goals per game or notable results.

Without that history, current form and the League Stage table are the better guides, and they point in different directions: Beşiktaş lead on results, Celtic on home goalscoring.

Celtic vs Beşiktaş prediction

Our lean is a competitive, high-scoring match with Beşiktaş holding a narrow edge on the result. Their better European record and Celtic's defensive record, with no clean sheets in five and 9 goals conceded in three Europa League games, support that view. Celtic's home scoring keeps a home win or draw very much in play.

On goals, the lean is towards both teams scoring and more than 2.5 goals. Celtic's three home games all passed that mark, Beşiktaş's away games have been open, and both teams have found the net in most of their recent matches.

What could change this: confirmed line-ups, particularly how Beşiktaş cope without the suspended U. Akdag, and whether Celtic find the defensive balance they lacked against Celta Vigo and Falkirk. MATCH PULSE's three AI engines (GPT, Claude and Gemini) publish their independent analysis of the match before kick-off.

How to watch Celtic vs Beşiktaş

No official broadcasters are listed in our data for this match. Check the UEFA Europa League's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app for live coverage.

Use only licensed broadcasters and their authorised apps to watch live. Coverage details can vary by country, so confirm the schedule with your local provider closer to the date.

We have not listed this competition's broadcasters yet. Check the competition's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app.

Only official rights holders are listed; availability can change. Watching through unofficial streams is unsafe and unfair to the clubs.

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