Celtic must address 2 key shortcomings to stand a chance against Besiktas

Celtic face Besiktas in a tricky-looking Europa League clash on Thursday night. The Bhoys are yet to pick up a point in Europe, and they are going to have to find a way to get something against the odds against the Turkish giants if they want to stand a chance of progressing.

Besiktas have a very talented squad and have seven points already in this competition, and with Celtic having struggled against any and all decent teams they have played this season, they are going to need to show us something they haven't so far to get something from this game.

But what are the main points of improvement they must tick off to give themselves a chance? Here are the main two.

Something needs to give in this Celtic midfield. It's not good enough to compete against the better sides at European level, and we have seen it time and again.

In the vast majority of the games, the defence has been left exposed for at least a stretch of the games, with the midfield unable to offer sufficient protection.

When the defence clears, the midfield is rarely quick enough to pressure at the edge of the box and it is open season from there in terms of shots. Questions have been asked of the goalkeepers, but when you give quality players a free shot from the edge of the areas, they are often going to score.

The personnel isn't going to change. Celtic don't have quality pivots to help their back line, and Callum McGregor just doesn't have the legs. But O'Neill has to take it upon himself to find a remedy, to find a way to tactically paper over the cracks.

Celtic have a disconnect in their front line. Camilo Durán has scored goals from central positions and from out wide, but we rarely see wingers and strikers connect in this team.

Haissem Hassan and Jota can beat a man and get a cross in, but how often are those crosses met? Celtic have had some success with their full-backs crossing, with both Colby Donovan and Kieran Tierney managing assists, but the wingers are struggling to find men in the box.

That is partly down to the quality of the crossing, and Haissem Hassan is a pain when it comes to providing crosses that can be met aggressively, many of his crosses are looping in nature and too high.

But Celtic's strikers are also a little shy when it comes to occupying spaces in the centre of the box. Durán likes second balls and balls to run onto, while Kasper Hogh is a target man who should love crosses, but he has often been ill-disciplined with his positioning amid poor form this season.

Celtic's strength is undoubtedly their attack, and they need to find a way to get their wingers and strikers on the same page.