Scottish side Celtic welcome Hungarian champions Ferencvaros to Celtic Park on Wednesday in the second qualifying round for the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League.
Celtic’s domestic campaign has been disrupted by national lockdown measures, with two of their games being postponed due to the pandemic.
The Bhoys currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership table but have played two games less than title-rivals Rangers. However, Celtic will surely be desperate to close the gap on their Old Firm foe.
Neil Lennon’s side are undefeated so far this season, picking up victories over Hamilton and Dundee United either side of a draw with Kilmarnock.
Fortunately for Celtic, their recent Champions League record is good. The Hoops have won five of their previous seven outings in this competition.
It's also worth pointing out that Celtic have scored over 1.5 goals in six of their last seven Champions League games, netting over 2.5 in three of their previous five.
However, Ferencvaros have also performed well on the European stage in recent years. The Budapest outfit have only lost one of their last seven Champions League games.
Serhiy Rebrov’s side cruised to the Hungarian top-flight title last term, losing just three of their 33 league games to finish 13 points clear at the top of the table.
Not only were Ferencvaros the division’s top scorers last season, but they also finished the 2019/20 campaign with the best defensive record in Hungary’s top tier.
Ferencvaros have only played one domestic game so far in the 2020/21 season, and they were forced to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with MTK Budapest.
Head-to-head: This will be the very first competitive meeting between Celtic and Ferencvaros, so there are no previous results to take into consideration.
Team news: Leigh Griffiths remains Celtic’s only absentee, with the forward continuing to recover from a calf strain.
Ferencvaros have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Wednesday’s clash, although former Liverpool goalkeeper Adam Bogdan could start after recently joining the club from Hibs.
Celtic hammered Reykjavik 6-0 in the previous round, while Ferencvaros edged past Djurgardens to advance. Needless to say, Celtic are overwhelming favourites to win this game.
Forebet predicts that Celtic will score over 2.5 goals on their way to victory. A clean sheet is also expected for the home side.