Monday is a massive day for Celtic. In the evening, Martin O'Neill's team commence their Scottish Premiership title defence against Dundee at Parkhead, following the traditional Flag Day celebrations. Earlier on, all eyes will be on UEFA headquarters in Nyon for the Champions League play-off round draw. This will signal the start of the Celts' European adventure for another season.
So, ahead of the draw, here is everything you need to know.
When is the Champions League play-off round draw?
The Champions League play-off round draw takes place at 11am (BST) on Monday 3 August.
How can I watch the Champions League play-off round draw?
The draw will be streamed on UEFA's official website. It is also available to watch on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the UK, as well as CBS Sports Golazo in the United States and Stan Sport in Australia.
What are teams playing for in the Champions League play-off round?
The are seven ties in the Champions League play-off round, five in the champions path and two in the league path; not at all confusing. The winners will qualify for the Champions League league phase, joining the 29 direct entrants, while the lowers all drop into the Europa League league phase.
Who could Celtic face in the Champions League play-off round?
Celtic's UEFA club coefficient ranking, currently 53rd, means they will be seeded in Monday's draw.
Seeded teams
- Crvena zvezda (Serbia) or Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel).
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) or Kauno Žalgiris (Lithuania).
- Celtic (Scotland).
- ŠK Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) or Mjällby AIF (Sweden).
- AEK Athens (Greece).
Thus, Celtic will be drawn against one of the five unseeded teams or pairings. As the third qualifying round is yet to take place, there are three either or situations on each side of the draw, and these are the Hoops' five potential opponents.
Unseeded teams
- NK Celje (Slovenia) or FC Ararat-Armenia (Armenia)
- LASK (Austria)
- Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or PFC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria).
- Aarhus Gymnastikforening (Denmark) or Sabah (Azerbaijan)
- Viking FK (Norway)
Who should Celtic fans hope to draw in the Champions League?
The weakest, on paper, possible opponents for Celtic in the draw are probably either Celje or Ararat-Armenia. The Hoops have won both previous meetings with Armenian opponents, smashing Alashkert eight years ago, albeit were dumped out by Slovenian side Maribor four years earlier.
If not that, the Hoops would probably like to face either AGF or Sabah. After winning their first Danish Superligaen title in 40 years, AGF pulled off an astonishing comeback against Lech Poznań last week. Following a 4-1 loss in the first leg at home, they then won by the same scoreline in Poland, before prevailing on penalties. Sabah meantime, crowned champions of Azerbaijan for the first time ever, will feature in a UEFA group stage for the very first time later this year. Thus, if Celtic were to face any of Celje, Ararat-Armenia, AGF or Sabah, they would be overwhelming favourites.
Who should Celtic fans hope to avoid in the Champions League?
The draw every Celt fears is a return to Almaty. 12 months ago, Brendan Rodgers' side were ignominiously defeated on penalties by Kairat, 3,500 miles from home on the Chinese border of Kazakhstan. Well, if Rafael Urazbakhtin's team overcome Levski Sofia, a rematch could be on the cards, brining with it traumatic memories but, more importantly, an arduous journey east too.
From a pure on pitch perspective, their toughest possible opponents are the two unseeded direct entrants. LASK won the Austrian Bundesliga for the first time since 1965, but have featured in a UEFA group stage five times since 2019. A meeting with die Schwarz-Weißen be far from easy.
However, the toughest potential opponent is surely Viking. While Bodø/Glimt were shocking the world in last season's Champions League, it was actually Viking who won the Eliteserien title, doing so for the first time since 1991. The Dark Blues do not boast much European pedigree, but are a solid side and, considering the Norwegian top-flight runs from March to December, are mid-season, which would be a clear advantage over a side like Celtic, who are only just concluding pre-season. It may be a cliché about these qualifiers but it's true; you never want to face a team from a summer league.
Champions League play-off round key dates
The match calendar will be released later on Monday. It is determined at random during the draw if Celtic will be at home or away in the first leg.
- First legs: Tuesday 18 & Wednesday 19 August.
- Second legs: Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 August.
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