Celtic have announced their team that will take on AIK in the second leg of their Europa League play-off. The team was revealed on Twitter a short time ago.
The big news is that Jozo Simunovic misses out for the Hoops in the middle of defence. He is replaced by Nir Bitton at centre-back. Kristoffer Ajer once more starts at right-back.
Big game for left-back
The rest of the team is what would be expected. Odsonne Edouard is the lone striker. It will be a big game for Boli Bolingoli, who was left out of the team that lost to Cluj. The trio of Mikey Johnston, Ryan Christie and James Forrest look like they could cause AIK plenty of problems.
The team chosen by Neil Lennon has garnered a fair number of responses on social media. One fan said it was ‘the best team available’.
Here are some of the best reactions from social media to the team that will take on AIK:
https://twitter.com/Kevinopala1/status/1167100184716857344
https://twitter.com/keirahaughian/status/1167100812075687936
https://twitter.com/melbourne88/status/1167102453139066881
https://twitter.com/CCEire97/status/1167099551133683712
Celtic go into the game in a decent position to qualify. The Hoops have 2-0 lead over the Swedish champions following the first leg.
However, AIK could pose of a threat than they did in the first leg of the tie. Celtic will be well aware of that, and the Hoops won’t be expecting the game to be anything but difficult.
First goal is vital
A key aspect of the game will be making sure that the Hoops score the first goal. That would mean that AIK would have to score four goals to get through to the play-offs.
Should Celtic play at their best though, the Hoops should be good enough to feature in Friday’s group stage draw.
It is a big game for Neil Lennon and his players. The Hoops cannot afford to exit two European competitions in the same season.
Hopefully the players and management are up to the task and the Hoops make the group stages.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
