20th Aug 2013 | Football
Shakhter Karaganda v Celtic Tip
This Kazakh striker has scored 3 in 4 for his club in Europe this season and will relish the visit of the Scottish champions.
Shakhter Karaganda are a total unknown quantity in the UK and it’s somewhat out of ignorance that they are priced as long as 16/5 (StanJames) to beat Celtic in the Champions League play-off first leg.
The reigning Kazakhstan champions will host their illustrious Scottish visitors on an artificial pitch - always a leveller - and they should not be dismissed out of hand. BATE Borisov defeated mighty Bayern Munich last season in the Champions League group stages but the Belarusians came a cropper against Skakhter recently.
One man stands out as a particular threat for the Kazakhs - Sergei Khizhnichenko. The 22-year-old striker is on a rich vein of form having scored the only goal for his country against Georgia last week as well having found the net in three of his club’s four European matches so far this season.
PaddyPower go a best price 7/2 on Khizhnichenko scoring at anytime on Tuesday and that looks like a hidden gem.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 09:50 20th Aug, 2013 but subject to change