Celtic's search for their first point in the Europa League league phase resumes when they welcome Besiktas to Celtic Park on Thursday.

The hosts are 35th in the table after three consecutive defeats, while the visitors are eighth and unbeaten after three matches.

Match preview

Celtic have experienced a 2026-27 packed with inconsistent spells, underwhelming performances and subpar results, particularly in European competition. 

The Bhoys catastrophically failed to qualify for the Champions League after squandering a 4-0 lead against LASK Linz to lose 5-4 on aggregate, marking one of the most miserable nights in the club's modern memory. 

Martin O'Neill's side were subsequently demoted to the Europa League, where their misery has continued, with Celtic currently sitting 35th in the 36-team table with no points after three straight defeats.

Alongside their disastrous Europa League form, which has seen them concede nine goals and score just three times in three games, Celtic also head into Thursday's match off the back of another disappointing defeat at the weekend. 

Celtic were handed a 2-0 loss by Falkirk on Sunday, marking the sixth defeat in their last 10 matches across all competitions, alongside only three wins during that time. 

As the pressure continues to rise on O'Neill, the manager will be desperate for his side to bounce back from Sunday's defeat and secure their first points of the 2026-27 Europa League campaign.

However, Celtic will take on a Besiktas side that remain undefeated in the league phase thus far, having claimed two wins and one draw from their three fixtures. 

Vincenzo Italiano's side claimed a particularly notable 4-1 triumph over Marseille on matchday one, followed by a 3-2 win against Hoffenheim and 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, leaving them eighth in the standings with seven points.

While they remain unbeaten in this competition, Besiktas have endured an inconsistent recent run of results in the Turkish Super Lig, with two wins, two defeats and a draw in their last five. 

All three times Besiktas have dropped points during that run came when playing away from home, while they have actually won only four of their nine away games across all competitions this season. 

Despite their struggles on the road, Besiktas will be confident of capitalising on Celtic's defensive vulnerabilities in the Europa League, with the Bhoys conceding nine times in three games and the visitors scoring nine in their three league phase fixtures.

Celtic Europa League form:

Celtic form (all competitions):

Besiktas Europa League form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Team News

Celtic are contending with injury issues to Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-Jun, while the remainder of the squad should be available for selection. 

After suffering a 2-0 defeat to Falkirk last time out, O'Neill could decide to make numerous changes to the starting 11 for this game, meaning the likes of Kasper Hogh, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren could start.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Orkun Kokcu and Fabio Miretti due to injuries, with Umit Akdag also unavailable after receiving a red card in the draw with Crystal Palace. 

Dusan Vlahovic is Besiktas' top scorer in the Turkish Super Lig with seven goals, and the striker is likely to lead the line and continue his search for a first goal in the Europa League. 

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Johnstone; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Baur, McGregor; Duran, Nygren, Tounekti; Hogh

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Cerny, Olaitan, Ozcan, Ndidi, Trossard; Vlahovic

We say: Celtic 1-2 Besiktas

Besiktas may not have the best record on the road this term, but with Celtic's ongoing struggles, especially defensively in this competition, alongside the visitors' goalscoring abilities, the away side could secure the win here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.