Celtic go into Thursday night’s visit of Beşiktaş still waiting for their first Europa League point, against a Turkish side who have not lost in the league phase.

Martin O’Neill’s side have lost all three of their games in the competition so far, and Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Falkirk did nothing to lift the mood around the club.

Celtic remain top of the Premiership, four points clear of Rangers, who have a game in hand. In Europe, the margin for error has gone.

Here is everything you need to know before kick-off.

When is Celtic v Beşiktaş?

Celtic host Beşiktaş at Celtic Park on Thursday, November 5, with kick-off at 8pm UK time.

It is the fourth of Celtic’s eight matches in the Europa League league phase.

What TV channel is Celtic v Beşiktaş on?

The match is live on TNT Sports 3 in the UK, according to current television listings, and can be streamed on HBO Max by subscribers with sports access.

For every upcoming Celtic game and where to watch it, see our Celtic on TV guide.

Why is Thursday so important for Celtic?

Celtic have three defeats from three: 3-1 at home to Ferencváros, 4-1 away to Benfica and 2-1 at home to Celta Vigo. They have scored three goals and conceded nine.

The top eight in the 36-team table go straight into the last 16, while the clubs finishing ninth to 24th enter a knockout play-off. With five games left, Celtic need points quickly to stay in the race for a top-24 place.

Only two of those five games are at Celtic Park, Beşiktaş on Thursday and Marseille in January. The other three are away to Torreense, Omonia Nicosia and Union Saint-Gilloise.

Europa League at a glance

Celtic	Beşiktaş
Celtic 1-3 Ferencváros	Beşiktaş 4-1 Marseille
Benfica 4-1 Celtic	Hoffenheim 2-3 Beşiktaş
Celtic 1-2 Celta Vigo	Beşiktaş 2-2 Crystal Palace
0 points	7 points

How are Beşiktaş shaping up?

Vincenzo Italiano’s side arrive with seven points from a possible nine. They beat Marseille 4-1 in Istanbul, won 3-2 at Hoffenheim and drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace.

Their squad includes a familiar face. Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu joined Beşiktaş from Genk in February, having spent 18 months at Celtic after signing from Suwon Samsung Bluewings in January 2023.

Captain Orkun Kökçü has been the main fitness story in Istanbul. The midfielder has missed his side’s last four matches through injury and was due to be assessed in training on Tuesday, as we reported earlier this week.

What is the latest Celtic team news?

Kieran Tierney is the first name to watch. The left-back took a couple of knocks at Falkirk, but O’Neill sounded hopeful afterwards.

“He took a couple of knocks here, but I’m hoping that he’ll be OK.”

Jota will not feature on Thursday. The Portuguese winger was left out of Celtic’s Europa League squad, and O’Neill also kept him away from Falkirk’s artificial pitch as a precaution after his return from injury.

Alistair Johnston remains sidelined with the leg injury that has kept him out since August.

Auston Trusty and Oliver Sørensen were both missing at Falkirk following family bereavements. O’Neill did not give a date for either player’s return. But Sorenson has rejoined training this week.

The manager’s pre-match press conference on Wednesday should give a clearer picture on Tierney and the rest of the squad.

Who is the referee?

German official Sascha Stegemann will referee the match. Christof Günsch and Marco Achmüller are his assistants, with Martin Petersen as fourth official. Full details of the match officials are here.

Have Celtic played Beşiktaş before?

Thursday will be the first competitive meeting between the clubs. Celtic’s only previous Turkish opponents were Fenerbahçe, and Ronny Deila’s side drew both games against them in the 2015/16 Europa League group stage.

After Thursday, Celtic return to Premiership action against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on Sunday, with kick-off at 4pm. I

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