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It's crunch time in the Europa League playoffs with the all-important second legs decided on Thursday evening. Many games hang in the balance, including Bologna vs Brann and Celta Vigo vs PAOK.
Some ties aren't quite as competitive, like Stuttgart vs Celtic at MHPArena in Baden-Württemberg. The home side boast a comfortable aggregate advantage.
Martin O'Neill had hoped for another memorable European night at Celtic Park seven days ago. What the experienced manager got in his 1000th game in football management will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.
It started with an ugly protest from the fans and ended with the Hoops outplayed, out-fought, and out-classed by The Swabians.
Celtic jet to Germany knowing they must beat the hosts by three clear goals just to stay in the fight. Anything less will see the Scots drop out of European competition for another term.
Will the visitors pull off a great escape and book their place in the next round? Will things go from bad to worse for the Scottish champions? Football writer Frank Monkhouse previews.
Stuttgart vs Celtic tips
Stuttgart win @ 21/50 (bet365)
Under 3.5 goals @ 4/5 (bet365)
El Khannouss to score @ 7/4 (bet365)
Match winner - Stuttgart
We're keeping things simple for our first bet on Stuttgart vs Celtic. Predicting the match-winner is the most popular way to gamble on football, and it's also easy to follow. We're backing Stuttgart to build on the success they enjoyed last week in Glasgow. If this game ends in a home win, regardless of the final score, you'll land a fair profit.
The most obvious reason for trusting Stuttgart to do the double over Celtic is how the locals played last week. Despite finishing ninth in last season's Bundesliga, Stuttgart made light work of the Scottish Premiership champions. They scored four goals, silenced the crowd, and left knowing the margin of victory could've been greater. It's about to get worse for the Hoops.
Looking at Stuttgart's recent home form offers encouragement. They thrashed Koln 3-1 here last time, beating Freiburg 1-0 in their only other game played at MHPArena this month. During the league phase of this competition, Stuttgart beat Young Boys 3-2, Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-1, and Dutch club Feyenoord 2-0. Stick with the form, adding Stuttgart to your midweek accas.
Tip: Stuttgart win @ 21/50 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Stuttgart beat Celtic, you beat the bookies.
Total goals - under 3.5
Moving away from the match-winner, we have another bet that'll do a job as a single or as part of your Europa League multiples. This time, we're going against last week's result, backing Thursday's renewal to produce fewer than four goals. You'll find this bet in the total goals market on the bet365 app. Click the odds attached to under 3.5 to add to your bet slip.
The first leg produced five goals, with Stuttgart winning 4-1. A bet on under 3.5 would've lost that day, but the Germans have one foot in the next round, and it's now about rotating the squad and protecting that advantage. A bet on under 3.5 goals landed in half of Stuttgart's six games played this month. That run includes a 1-0 win over Freiburg at this stadium.
Switching to Celtic's recent form, they lost 2-1 to Hibs at Celtic Park on Sunday. The Bhoys have played six times in February, with under 3.5 goals landing in four of those matches. They beat Falkirk, Dundee, Livingston and Kilmarnock before losing to Stuttgart and Hibs. With the team low on confidence, I expect O'Neill will set up to avoid further embarrassment.
Tip: Under 3.5 goals @ 4/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Stuttgart vs Celtic to end with fewer than four goals scored.
Score anytime - El Khannouss
This third and final bet to consider on Thursday evening in Germany focuses on a player rather than a team's performance. We're playing Stuttgart's Moroccan midfielder Bilal El Khannouss to score at least one more past Celtic. You'll find this bet in the anytime scorer market, with a goal inside 60 seconds paying the same as a last-gasp winner.
If the man on loan from English Championship club Leicester City nets, you'll enjoy a profit. Why are we so confident that Bilal will get amongst the goals? The 21-year-old born in Belgium scored a double at Parkhead last Thursday, striking to make it 1-0 and then 2-1. He had chances to complete the hat-trick, and I'm confident El Khannouss will shine again here.
Our pick isn't exactly a prolific scorer in the German Bundesliga, with his last league goal coming against Werder Bremen in December. He has enjoyed more success in the Europa League, netting against Celtic, Go Ahead Eagles, Feyenoord, and Celta Vigo. The exciting young talent has a bright future in the sport, and I expect him to show his class again.
Tip: El Khannouss to score @ 7/4 (bet365)
Bet explanation: El Khannouss must score on Thursday evening against Celtic.
Stuttgart vs Celtic
Stuttgart win @ 21/50 (bet365)
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.