Thursday's UEFA Europa League opener at Celtic Park brings together two clubs whose seasons have taken very different turns in recent weeks.
Celtic enter the league phase still reeling from a 3‑0 derby defeat to Rangers, a result manager Martin O'Neill described as a "wake‑up call".
And, after their recent UEFA Champions League play-off round collapse against LASK, when they let a seemingly unassailable 4-0 aggregate lead slip in Austria, the Ibrox loss only deepened the sense of fragility about the Hoops.
Ferencvaros, meanwhile, head to Scotland in superb form after thrashing Debrecen 7-0 in the Hungarian Cup on Saturday.
Balazs Borbely’s side look tactically settled, physically sharp and mentally confident, having already knocked out FC Twente, Gornik Zabrze and Trabzonspor to reach this stage.
Celtic v Ferencvaros Tips Summary
Best Bet - Ferencvaros or Draw - Double Chance @ 23/20
Alternative Bet - Over 2.5 goals & Both teams to score - Yes @ 5/6
Bet Builder - Marius Corbu 2+ shots, Kristoffer Zachariassen 2+ shots & HT/FT - Celtic/Draw @ 30/1
Celtic v Ferencvaros Prediction
Best Bet: Ferencvaros or Draw - Double Chance @ 23/20
Ferencvaros travel to Glasgow as underdogs, but they have a chance of causing an upset based on their current form.
Fradi have proven tough to beat in domestic and European competition, winning four of their last five Hungarian league and cup matches while negotiating four rounds of UEFA Europa League qualifiers without defeat.
Borbely's side have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, drawing the other when they let a two-goal lead slip against Ujpest in the derby.
That was their fourth game in 10 days and fatigue was probably a factor, but the coach has had five days to prepare for this trip to Celtic Park and rested a number of key players for their 7-0 cup win over Debrecen on Saturday.
O'Neill had no such luxury for his side's Old Firm clash at Ibrox, although he has subsequently been criticised for his team selection.
The Bhoys' domestic home form is strong, but their European record in Glasgow is not. The Hoops lost three of their five UEFA Europa League matches at Celtic Park last season, including a 2-0 upset against Braga and a 4-1 hammering by VfB Stuttgart.
Ferencvaros have already shown they can compete with - and beat - Scottish opposition, having defeated Rangers last season and their European record over the past two seasons has been stronger than Celtic's.
The Hungarians' unbeaten streak, combined with Celtic’s defensive issues, makes the Double Chance extremely appealing.
Alternative Bet: Over 2.5 goals & Both teams to score - Yes @ 5/6
This fixture has all the ingredients for a few goals with Celtic games regularly featuring three or more and Ferencvaros currently in scoring form.
Eight of the Hoops' last nine contests have seen three or more strikes hit the back of the net, while the Hungarian side's last five matches have also gone over the 2.5-goal line.
Ferencvaros have scored the opener in seven straight matches and Fradi's ability to score early should force Celtic into a more aggressive posture, opening the game further.
The Glasgow giants are coming off a poor display against Rangers, 19 shots against them by St Mirren, Dundee United hitting the post five times and LASK completely over-running them in Linz, so their defensive structure looks weak.
Both teams scored in seven of Celtic's 10 UEFA Europa League games last term and that looks like a solid angle, alongside over 2.5 goals.
Celtic v Ferencvaros Bet Builder Tip
Marius Corbu 2+ shots
Kristoffer Zachariassen 2+ shots
HT/FT - Celtic/Draw
Pays 30/1
Midfielder Marius Corbu has been one of Ferencvaros' most productive shooters in Europe, regularly drifting into pockets around the box and testing goalkeepers.
Kristoffer Zachariassen, meanwhile, is a volume shooter who thrives in chaotic, transitional matches, exactly the type of game this could become.
The HT/FT angle reflects Celtic's strong home starts and Ferencvaros' tendency to grow into matches.
The Bhoys have often begun aggressively at Parkhead, but their control has faded late in games and the visitors' fitness and tactical discipline make them excellent candidates to claw back a result.
Key Match Stats
Celtic won two and lost three of their home UEFA Europa League matches last season
Celtic conceded multiple goals in four of those five European home games
Ferencvaros are unbeaten in 11 official matches.
Ferencvaros have scored first in seven straight matches
The last five Ferencvaros matches all featured three or more goals.
Celtic's last three home matches have featured three goals each
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
