Celtic now know who they could potentially face in the Champions League play-off round.
After last night’s second round qualifiers were completed, Celtic now know the eight potential unseeded teams that stand between them and the lucrative Champions League group stage.
Brendan Rodgers enjoyed great success amongst Europe’s elite clubs after Celtic beat the likes of RB Leipzig and Young Boys as well as earning high-profile draws against Atalanta and Bayern Munich.
However, having to negotiate a play-off qualifier this season, Brendan Rodgers now knows who Celtic could potentially face after last night’s second round fixtures were concluded.
Celtic’s Champions League opponents confirmed, draw & fixture dates
Celtic, as one of the seeded teams, will be drawn in the champions path of the competition. That means Rodgers will avoid tricky trips to the likes of Red Star Belgrade, Bodo/Glimt, or Luis Palma’s Lech Poznan.
So here is the list of Celtic’s potential opponents for the Champions League play-off place:
- Sturm Graz
- FC Basel
- Qarabag or Shkendija
- Dynamo Kiev or Pafos
- Slovan Bratislava or Kairat
The draw for the UEFA Champions League play-off will take place on Monday the 4th of August at 11am BST with ties to be played on the 19th/20th and 26th/27th of August.
You can watch the live draw on UEFA.com.
Where Celtic’s potential Champions League opponents are ranked by UEFA
Celtic are currently ranked 56th in UEFA’s club rankings. So where do the Parkhead club’s potential opponents feature in the list?
- Sturm Graz (74)
- FC Basel (63)
- Qarabag (65)
- Shkendija (238)
- Dynamo Kiev (113)
- Pafos (133)
- Slovan Bratislava (62)
- Kairat (301)
With a potential £40m cash pot at stake, Rodgers and Celtic know that reaching the Champions League group stage is so important to not just the club’s finances, but their reputation across Europe.
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