Sporting vs Celtic: Friendly match. Prediction, facts, betting tips and head-to-head – July 14, 2026
A pre-season friendly between Sporting and Celtic is set to take place on Tuesday, July 14, with kick-off scheduled for 18:30 CET. Here's my betting pick for the match.
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Sporting vs Celtic: Match preview and head-to-head
Sporting are only just beginning their preparations for the new season and this will be their first friendly ahead of the competitive campaign. After facing Celtic, they are also scheduled to take on Strasbourg, Monaco and Nottingham Forest. Sporting finished second in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, collecting 82 points. They fell six points short of champions Porto while finishing two points ahead of Benfica.
They also reached the Portuguese Cup final but suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Torreense, a side from Portugal's second tier that produced one of the biggest upsets in recent cup history by lifting the trophy. Sporting now turn their attention to the new campaign, where they will once again be among the favourites for domestic honours.
Celtic began their pre-season preparations slightly earlier and opened with a 1-1 draw against Shelbourne. They will also face Sporting, Middlesbrough and AC Milan before beginning their UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign. The Hoops successfully retained the Scottish Premiership title last season, although the championship race was only decided on the final day.
A 3-1 victory over Hearts in the closing round saw Celtic finish two points clear of the same opponents and secure their fifth consecutive league title. They completed a domestic double by defeating Dunfermline 3-1 in the Scottish Cup final. Their new Scottish Premiership campaign will get underway at the beginning of August with a match against Dundee FC.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Sporting are playing their first pre-season friendly of the summer.
- Celtic are unbeaten in their last ten matches.
- The last meeting between these sides came in 2025, when Celtic claimed a 2-0 victory.
Prediction
Both Sporting and Celtic are using this match to prepare for the new season, so it should be an entertaining contest despite the lack of competitive stakes. My recommended bet is a Sporting victory.
