Crvena Zvezda vs Celtic | Football Previews & Free Betting Tips | 24th September 2025

The Europa League group stage throws up a fiery clash in Belgrade on 24 September 2025, as Crvena Zvezda welcome Celtic. The Serbian champions come in flying after a perfect domestic start, while the visitors are steady at home but still smarting from their Champions League exit.

The Rajko Mitić Stadium will be a cauldron, with the home support renowned for its noise and colour. Celtic’s travelling fans will also make themselves heard, but they face one of Europe’s most intimidating venues.

Expect the hosts to press high in a flexible 4-2-3-1, looking to overwhelm with relentless attacking patterns. Celtic are likely to settle into a 4-3-3, prioritising compactness and long spells of possession to slow the game and pick moments to counter.

• The hosts average 58% possession but are at their most dangerous when playing vertical football, with over 16 shots per game.
• Celtic average a massive 70% possession, preferring patience and circulation, but they produce fewer shots — about 13 per game.
• Both sides are strong at set pieces: Crvena Zvezda score 0.9 goals per game this way, while Celtic keep things tight, conceding only 0.1.

Crvena Zvezda are on a storming run — 10 wins on the spin, hitting 43 goals in that period and conceding only 7. They’ve dominated weaker domestic opposition and proved they can edge tighter derbies too.

Celtic have gone 6 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat across their last 10. They’ve been watertight at the back, conceding just 2 goals in that spell, but scoring only 11. Their defensive solidity is unquestionable, though their cutting edge is less reliable.

Crvena Zvezda at home are ruthless: 9 wins in their last 10 at the Rajko Mitić, scoring an average of 3.5 goals and conceding under 1. Celtic’s away record is solid but less spectacular — 5 wins and 3 draws in 10, with goals often coming late rather than in bursts.

The hosts consistently generate nearly triple the xG of what they concede, while Celtic create modestly more than they allow. The data suggests Crvena Zvezda may engineer higher-quality chances overall.

These sides have met only twice in Europe, both in the 2018 Europa League group stage. Celtic won 2-0 at home, while Crvena Zvezda edged the return in Belgrade 1-0. Nothing else separates them historically, adding a fresh layer to this encounter.

With the Belgrade crowd behind them and attacking form off the charts, Crvena Zvezda look primed to edge this. Celtic’s defensive organisation will make it close, but the hosts’ firepower should be enough. Prediction: 2-1 Crvena Zvezda.

Main Pick: Home win — the Serbian champions are in irresistible form on their own patch.

Value Bet: Over 2.5 goals — backed by the hosts’ scoring rate and the possibility of Celtic grabbing one.