Spartak Moscow v Celtic: Bhoys to struggle in Russia

Aiden McGeady will be eager to impress against his former club

Celtic face a tough assignment in Moscow against a Spartak side which almost shocked the mighty Barcelona in game one...

Spartak Moscow v Celtic, Tuesday 17:00, Sky Sports 2, Match odds: Spartak Moscow 1.574/7, Celtic 7.613/2, The Draw 4.3100/30

A trip to Spartak Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium is rarely an easy one. First there is there is the arduous plane journey to deal with alongside the change in time zone.

Then there is the artificial turf to get to grips with, which so famously upset the England team in their doomed qualification campaign for Euro 2008.

Unfortunately for Celtic boss Neil Lennon, his side will have had minimal time to adapt to these unfamiliar conditions since their 2-0 win over Motherwell on Saturday.

And a look at Celtic's dismal away record in this competition suddenly makes an uphill task seem all the more steep.

As Opta tell us, excluding qualifiers, Celtic have failed to win any of their last 26 away games in Europe, drawing six and losing 20.

The Hoops started their European campaign with a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Benfica and, though they didn't lose, the lack of chances created will be of real concern to Celtic fans.

The Scottish champions were the only team in the competition who didn't manage a single shot on target in their opening match.

How they could do with the attacking threat of ex-winger Aiden McGeady, who is likely to line up against his former team-mates tonight.

McGeady should start after being rested in Spartak's latest league win in the Russian Premier League, their second in a row since narrowly losing to Barcelona.

Over 2.5 goals

Since Spartak went so close to causing the upset of the first round in the Camp Nou, the Russians' confidence has spilled over into the their domestic form.

They have recorded two convincing 3-1 wins in the Russian Premier League and have notched at least two goals in the last five in all competitions.

In fact, the last five games Spartak have contested produced over 2.5 goals, with four of those matches turning up over 3.5.

Spartak Moscow to score in both halves

As Opta inform us, the visitors have been found wanting in the Champions League in recent times, winning just one of their last ten matches. Spartak are in a good moment too, coming off the back of two emphatic league wins.

The free-scoring Russians have now registered in both halves of their last four matches in all competitions and look well placed to repeat that feat against Celtic.

Best Bet: Back over 2.5 goals @ 1.9520/21
Other Recommended Bet: Back Spartak Moscow to score in both halves @ 2.486/4