Celtic have discovered the five possible opponents they could face in next Monday’s UEFA Champions League play-off draw.
The Scottish champions are among the seeded clubs in the Champions Route after securing automatic passage to the final qualifying stage, where 10 teams will compete for a place in the League Phase.
With the second qualifying round now complete, Austrian champions LASK and Norwegian title holders Viking are confirmed as possible opponents, while the remaining three potential ties depend on the outcome of the third qualifying round.
Those unseeded pairings are AGF against Sabah, Kairat Almaty versus Levski Sofia, and NK Celje against Ararat-Armenia.
Celtic’s possible Champions League play-off opponents:
LASK (Austria)
Viking (Norway)
AGF (Denmark) or Sabah (Azerbaijan)
Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Levski Sofia (Bulgaria)
NK Celje (Slovenia) or Ararat-Armenia (Armenia)
Although Celtic are seeded for the draw, that does not ensure they will play the second leg at Celtic Park, with the order of the draw determining which club hosts the opening fixture.
Martin O’Neill’s side will be aiming to avoid a repeat of last season, when they were knocked out at the same hurdle by Kairat Almaty on penalties following a demanding journey to Kazakhstan.
The play-off first legs are scheduled for August 18 and 19, with the return matches taking place on August 25 and 26. Victory over two legs would secure a place in the revamped 36-team Champions League League Phase, while defeat would see Celtic drop into the Europa League.
Reaching the Champions League proper would also deliver another major financial boost. UEFA’s latest financial figures showed Celtic collected £40.3 million from their 2024/25 European campaign, which included progression from the League Phase before an eventual knockout exit to Bayern Munich.
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1 Comment
Got no interest in the money getting potentially made from a CL campaign whatsoever. Only class the money factor as stopping other Scottish teams the chance of getting it?
It’s more about whether we can produce a team, that’s worthy of being competitive at that level, instead of cannon fodder, which I wouldn’t have no real interest in ourselves just making up numbers in a group stage?
We looked nowhere close to becoming a decent CL team last season, this despite the amount of international players within our squad?
And as we continue to set the pace, for Scottish teams in European football, it’s no wonder the coefficient is dropping at the rate it is at present.
So admittedly, wasn’t convinced that a CL campaign would suit ourselves best, with the amount of work that was required within our overall squad?
Wasn’t bothered about potential opposition, as we should be able to beat whoever?
But rather such an embarrassment at the start of a season, than a prolonged embarrassment during an entire CL campaign, which lasts months?
However, the signings of Hogh and Duran are signs of renewable hope, for a CL campaign imo?
Still remain short within our overall squad still, with MoN facing a number of decisions, in how he intends to set up our overall squad?
Even then, new partnerships have to be formed, along with getting a settled team in place, despite the competition for starting positions, that MoN is potentially looking to introduce into the squad?
So didn’t think, that could all be achieved, in the time frame, with the amount of changes expected within the overall squad imo?
Forming a new core group of players, to provide better stability, was potentially a better option, than hoping to make wholesale changes to the squad, and hoping to get lucky for a decent CL campaign as a result?
However, starting to show signs that a decent CL campaign might be possible imo?
Any team with goal scoring strikers, have a chance of gaining results?
We now have them.
Showed against Milan, that we can operate without the football, as against sporting, we were tore apart in a similar fashion to what Ajax done to ourselves, last pre season?
And how did they get on within the CL, especially with ourselves operating with a stronger team, against Ajax than we had against sporting?
So encouraging signs, even if work to still be done, for a decent CL campaign in the offering for next season imo?