Celtic v Beşiktaş and 5 more Europa League games in numbers
· · 15 min read
Celtic host Beşiktaş with 0 points from 3 games, having lost 6 of their last 10. Sunderland sit 9th on 7 points, outside the top 8 only on goal difference, and 6 of their 7 home games this season have had fewer than 3 goals; Ferencváros go to Milan unbeaten in 10. For each game, three numbers and what to watch.
| Game | Kick-off (UK) | In the table | The number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic v Beşiktaş | Thu 05/11, 20:00 | 35th v 8th | 0 points for Celtic from 3 Europa League games |
| Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb | Thu 05/11, 20:00 | 9th v 18th | 1 of 7 Sunderland home games with 3 or more goals |
| Milan v Ferencváros | Thu 05/11, 17:45 | 24th v 5th | 10 games unbeaten for Ferencváros |
| AZ Alkmaar v Juventus | Thu 05/11, 20:00 | 10th v 7th | 2.71 expected goals (xG) per game for Juventus in this Europa League (3 games) |
| Benfica v Lech Poznań | Thu 05/11, 20:00 | 2nd v 32nd | 32 scored and 8 conceded by Benfica at home (10 games) |
| Real Sociedad v Lyon | Thu 05/11, 17:45 | 14th v 13th | 9 of 10 Real Sociedad games with 3 or more goals |
xG = expected goals: how many goals a team's chances would usually produce. CornerPro data up to 05/11/2026.
The full league-phase table is on the Europa League: table, fixtures and stats page. The positions already include Wednesday's Olympiacos v Rennes, so those two sides have played 4 and tonight's teams 3. Also tonight: at 17:45, Hoffenheim go to Crystal Palace, and their away games have had 10 or more corners in 6 of 7 this season; at the same time Bournemouth, 4th with 9 points and 8-1 on goals, visit Sparta Prague; and at 20:00 Leverkusen, 3rd and yet to concede (8-0), host Marseille.
On Wednesday, 5 of the 13 calls in our Champions League article came off and 8 did not. Corners went wrong in all 4 games where we gave a direction: Porto v Napoli finished 5-5 on corners, and Dortmund v Betis, which had the highest averages, had only 7.
CelticUEFA Europa League3 - 2Full time · Thursday 5 November
Beşiktaş- 0
- points for Celtic in this Europa League3 games
- 12.67
- corners per game in Celtic's home games, the highest home average of the 6 games9 home games
- 5.33
- yellow cards per game in Beşiktaş away games9 away games
Celtic v Beşiktaş · Europa League
Celtic have lost all 3 of their Europa League games and create 0.97 expected goals (xG) per game, the lowest of the 12 teams in this article (3 games, small sample); in the Scottish Premiership they create 2.67 per game over 12 games. They have lost 6 of their last 10, most recently 2-0 at Falkirk on Sunday.
At home it is a different picture: 7 of their 9 games this season have had 3 or more goals, and they average 12.67 corners, 8.67 of them for Celtic, the highest home average of the 6 games. In other words, Celtic Park games tend to bring plenty of goals and plenty of corners.
Beşiktaş are 8th on 7 points, and all 3 of their Europa League games have had 3 or more goals with both teams scoring. Away from home this season they are more even: 4 wins and 4 defeats in 9 games, scoring 1.33 and conceding 1.33 per game.
| Cards | Yellow cards per game | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Celtic home games | 3.22 | 9 |
| Beşiktaş away games | 5.33 | 9 |
| Referee: Sascha Stegemann (since July 2025) | 3.81 | 37 |
On cards the signals point opposite ways: Beşiktaş away games average 5.33 yellow cards, but Celtic's home games only 3.22, and Germany's Sascha Stegemann is a normal figure. In other words, no clear lean on cards.
In the Europa League
Celtic are 3 points behind 24th, the last play-off spot; Beşiktaş hold 8th, level on 7 points with Sunderland. Next, Celtic go to Torreense (26/11) and Omonia (10/12); Beşiktaş host Hapoel Be'er Sheva (26/11) and go to Leverkusen (10/12).
Absences: Celtic are without Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-jun, injured. Beşiktaş are without Ümit Akdağ and Fabio Miretti, injured. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
SunderlandUEFA Europa League0 - 2Full time · Thursday 5 November
Dinamo Zagreb- 1 of 7
- Sunderland home games with 3+ goals7 home games
- 8 of 11
- Dinamo Zagreb away games with 3+ goals11 away games
- 9th
- Sunderland's place, level on points with 8th3 games
Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb · Europa League
At home this season Sunderland have scored 6 and conceded 6 in 7 games, and only 1 had 3 or more goals (the 3-2 win over Brentford). They kept a clean sheet in 4 of the 7. In other words, games at the Stadium of Light tend to be low-scoring. They have lost 5 of their last 10, most recently 3-1 at Coventry on Saturday.
Dinamo Zagreb show the opposite: 8 of their 11 away games have had 3 or more goals, and both teams scored in 7. They are 18th on 4 points and lost 1-0 at Rudeš on Saturday. In other words, on goals the two sides point in opposite directions and there is no clear lean.
On corners the average of the two sides is 10.27, a little above the league-phase average of 9.53. In the Europa League Sunderland have 9.00 corners per game (3 games, small sample, and the 12-5 against AZ weighs heavily); in the Premier League they have only 4.22 over 9 games. The referee is Italy's Andrea Colombo, with 4.13 yellow cards per game since July 2025 (45 games), a normal figure.
In the Europa League
Sunderland are 9th on 7 points, level with Beşiktaş, and miss the top 8 only on goal difference (+2 against +4). They beat AZ 1-0 and Torreense 2-1 away and drew 1-1 in Poznań. Next, they host Jagiellonia (26/11) and go to Milan (10/12); Dinamo host Leverkusen (26/11) and go to Rennes (10/12).
Absences: Sunderland are without Habib Diarra, Daniel Ballard and Romaine Mundle, injured, and Nordi Mukiele is a doubt. Dinamo are without Stjepan Radeljić, Fran Topić and Scott McKenna, injured, and Dani Rodríguez is a doubt. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
AC MilanUEFA Europa League0 - 2Full time · Thursday 5 November
Ferencvárosi- 10
- games unbeaten for Ferencvároslast 10 games
- 9 of 13
- Ferencváros away games with 10+ corners13 away games
- 7.33
- corners per game in Milan's home games6 home games
Milan v Ferencváros · Europa League
Ferencváros are unbeaten in 10 (7 wins and 3 draws), scoring 3.00 and conceding 0.70 per game in that run. They have won all 3 Europa League games and are 5th on 9 points; away from home this season they have lost only 1 of 13. In other words, they arrive in Milan as one of the most in-form sides in the competition.
Milan are 24th on 3 points, the last play-off spot. 7 of their last 10 games have had 3 or more goals, and on Saturday they beat Inter 3-1, three days after losing 4-2 at home to Bologna. In other words, Milan games tend to have goals, but their results swing a lot.
On corners the numbers point in opposite directions. Milan's home games average only 7.33 (6 games), while Ferencváros away games average 11.08, with 10 or more in 9 of 13. The average of the two sides is 9.21, close to the league-phase 9.53. In other words, no clear lean. Note: small sample for Milan. The referee is Switzerland's Urs Schnyder, with 4.17 yellow cards per game (48 games), a normal figure.
In the Europa League
From 22nd to 28th there are 7 teams on 3 points, so a defeat could push Milan out of the play-off places. Next, Milan go to Olympiacos (26/11) and host Sunderland (10/12); Ferencváros host Celje (26/11) and go to Lech (10/12).
Absences: Milan have 5 injured (Tomori, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek and Chukwueze), and Pavlović and Terracciano are doubts. Ferencváros are without Matúš Bero and Bence Ötvös, injured. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
AZ AlkmaarUEFA Europa League1 - 2Full time · Thursday 5 November
Juventus- 2.71
- expected goals (xG) created by Juventus per game3 games in this Europa League
- 8
- Juventus players injured, according to FotMob05/11
- 2 of 6
- AZ home games with 3+ goals6 home games
AZ Alkmaar v Juventus · Europa League
Juventus are 7th on 7 points and have scored 9 goals in 3 games. They create 2.71 expected goals (xG) per game in this Europa League, the highest of the 12 teams in this article (3 games, small sample, and the 5-0 against NEC weighs heavily); in Serie A they create 1.36 per game and have scored 13 goals in 10 games. They beat Napoli 2-0 on Sunday, but arrive with 8 players injured.
AZ are 10th on 6 points and have lost their last 2 games, 2-0 at home to Twente and 1-0 at Ajax. At home this season only 2 of their 6 games have had 3 or more goals, and the same is true of Juventus away: 2 of 6. In other words, despite Juventus' attack in Europe, games involving these two in this setting tend to be low-scoring. Note: small sample.
Corners are the other way round. Away from home, Juventus win 8.33 corners and concede 3.33 per game, and 4 of 6 games reached 10. The average of the two sides is 11.08. In other words, a lean towards plenty of corners, mostly for Juventus. Note: small sample. The referee is Poland's Damian Sylwestrzak, with 4.65 yellow cards per game since July 2025 and 14 reds in 52 games, above normal.
In the Europa League
AZ are 1 point off the top 8, where Juventus are. Next, AZ go to Sparta Prague (26/11) and host Sturm Graz (10/12); Juventus host Omonia (26/11) and go to Hapoel Be'er Sheva (10/12).
Absences: AZ are without Jeroen Zoet and Stije Resink, injured, and Kees Smit and Jizz Hornkamp are doubts. Juventus are without McKennie, Grabara, Khéphren Thuram, Locatelli, Çelik, Nicolás González, Francisco Conceição and Yıldız, all injured. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
BenficaUEFA Europa League3 - 1Full time · Thursday 5 November
Lech Poznań- 32-8
- Benfica's goals at home this season10 home games
- 1-9
- Lech's goals in this Europa League3 games
- 11.45
- corners as the average of the two sides, the highest of the 6 games10 + 10 games
Benfica v Lech Poznań · Europa League
Benfica have won 9 of their last 10 and lost only at Porto, 3-1 on 20/09. At home this season they have won 9 of 10 and drawn the other, scoring 32 and conceding 8, and 8 of those games had 3 or more goals. In other words, Benfica home games tend to have plenty of goals, nearly always in their favour.
Lech are 32nd on 1 point: they lost 4-0 at Crystal Palace and 4-0 at home to Leverkusen, and drew 1-1 with Sunderland. They concede 3.70 expected goals (xG) per game in this Europa League, the highest of the 12 teams in this article (3 games, small sample); in the Ekstraklasa they concede 1.02 per game over 12 games. Away from home this season, 9 of their 10 games have had 3 or more goals, and they have not kept a clean sheet in their last 10.
On corners, Benfica's home games average 12.10, with 9.50 of them for Benfica, and Lech's away games 10.80. The average of the two sides is 11.45, the highest of the 6 games and well above the league-phase 9.53. In other words, a lean towards plenty of corners, mostly for Benfica. In the Europa League Benfica have only 4.67 corners per game (3 games, small sample, and that includes the 10-1 against them in Milan; without it, 6.50); in Liga Portugal they have 7.30 over 10 games.
| Cards | Yellow cards per game | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Benfica home games | 4.00 | 10 |
| Lech away games | 4.20 | 10 |
| Referee: Martin Matoša (since July 2025) | 4.79 | 24 |
The referee is Slovenia's Martin Matoša, with 4.79 yellow cards per game since July 2025 (24 games), the highest of the 6 referees, and both teams' games also sit close to 4. In other words, a lean towards more cards than usual. Note: small sample for the referee.
In the Europa League
Benfica are 2nd on 9 points, with 10 scored and 2 conceded; Lech are 2 points behind 24th place. In 2020/21, in the same competition, Benfica won both meetings (4-2 and 4-0), a curiosity rather than a trend. Next, Benfica go to Plzeň (26/11) and host OFI (10/12); Lech go to Union SG (26/11) and host Ferencváros (10/12).
Absences: Benfica are without Clément Lenglet and Leandro Barreiro, injured, and Enzo Barrenechea is a doubt. Lech have 6 injured, including Mikael Ishak and João Moutinho. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
Real SociedadUEFA Europa League1 - 1Full time · Thursday 5 November
Olympique Lyonnais- 9 of 10
- Real Sociedad games with 3+ goalslast 10 games
- 0.88
- goals per game for Lyon away8 away games
- 5 of 6
- Real Sociedad home games with 10+ corners6 home games
Real Sociedad v Lyon · Europa League
9 of Real Sociedad's last 10 games have had 3 or more goals, and both teams scored in 8. In other words, Real Sociedad games tend to have plenty of goals at both ends. On Sunday they lost the Basque derby 2-1 at Athletic Club.
In this Europa League they are 14th on 4 points with 8 goals scored, but 6 of them came in the 6-0 at Lillestrøm; in the other two games they lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth and drew 1-1 at Union SG. Note: small sample; in LaLiga they score 1.82 goals per game (20 in 11 games).
Lyon are 13th on 6 points. Away from home this season they have won only 2 of 8 and score 0.88 goals per game, while conceding 1.38. In other words, on the road Lyon score little and concede more than they score.
| Cards | Yellow cards per game | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Real Sociedad home games | 4.50 | 6 |
| Lyon away games | 2.75 | 8 |
| Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (since July 2025) | 4.57 | 35 |
The referee is Greece's Anastasios Papapetrou, with 4.57 yellow cards per game since July 2025 (35 games), above normal, and Real Sociedad's home games also average 4.50; only Lyon's away games pull the figure down. On corners, 5 of Real Sociedad's 6 home games reached 10 or more, and so did 6 of Lyon's 8 away games. The average of the two sides is 11.42. In other words, a lean towards plenty of corners. Note: small sample.
In the Europa League
Both sides are in the play-off places, Real Sociedad 3 points off the top 8 and Lyon 1. Next, Real Sociedad go to Crystal Palace (26/11) and host Torreense (10/12); Lyon host Lillestrøm (26/11) and Union SG (10/12).
Absences: Real Sociedad are without Álvaro Odriozola, injured; Luken Beitia and Arsen Zakharyan are back in training. Lyon have 7 injured, including Moussa Niakhaté, Tyler Morton and Loïs Openda. Nobody is suspended. According to FotMob on 05/11.
How we read these numbers
CornerPro data from 05/11/2026, finished games only and no friendlies. Table and fixtures: ESPN; injuries and suspensions: FotMob, both on 05/11/2026. Of the 6 games, only Benfica v Lech has previous meetings in our database. "Last 10" means the last 10 games in all competitions. "Home" and "away" mean this season's games (since 01/07/2026) at home or away, in all competitions. "This Europa League" means the 3 league-phase games, which is also where the xG comes from; when a figure comes from those 3 games alone, we put the same figure from the team's domestic league (this season's games) next to it for context. The "average of the two sides" adds the average corners in the home side's home games to the average in the away side's away games and divides by two: it is a reference, not a prediction. The league phase has 55 finished games so far, with 9.53 corners, 3.02 goals and 3.80 yellow cards per game. We call a referee "normal" between 3.30 and 4.30 yellow cards per game (since July 2025). The samples are small, so the number of games is always shown next to each figure. If you use these numbers to bet, decide beforehand how much you can afford to lose and never chase losses. Betting is for over-18s only.
The matches in this analysis
- AC Milan0-2Ferencvárosi05/11 · 17:45 · See the match →
- Real Sociedad1-1Olympique Lyonnais05/11 · 17:45 · See the match →
- Celtic3-2Beşiktaş05/11 · 20:00 · See the match →
- Sunderland0-2Dinamo Zagreb05/11 · 20:00 · See the match →
- AZ Alkmaar1-2Juventus05/11 · 20:00 · See the match →
- Benfica3-1Lech Poznań05/11 · 20:00 · See the match →
Frequently asked questions
What time is Celtic v Beşiktaş?
20:00 UK time on Thursday 05/11/2026, in matchweek 4 of the Europa League league phase. The referee is Sascha Stegemann. Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb, Benfica v Lech Poznań and AZ Alkmaar v Juventus kick off at the same time; Milan v Ferencváros and Real Sociedad v Lyon start at 17:45.
Can Sunderland make the top 8?
They are 9th on 7 points, level with Beşiktaş in 8th, and miss out only on goal difference (+2 against +4). After Dinamo Zagreb they host Jagiellonia (26/11) and go to Milan (10/12), with 2 more games in January. The top 8 go straight to the round of 16, 9th to 24th go into the play-off and 25th downwards are out (ESPN table on 05/11/2026).
Can Celtic still qualify?
Yes. They are 35th with 0 points from 3 games, 3 points behind 24th place, the last play-off spot. After Beşiktaş they go to Torreense (26/11) and Omonia (10/12), with 2 more games in January. The top 8 go straight to the round of 16, 9th to 24th go into the play-off and 25th downwards are out (ESPN table on 05/11/2026).
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