Celtic are one step closer to discovering who they must beat to secure a £40million Champions League group-stage spot. Monday's draw in Nyon will determine the Hoops' playoff opponent, and after Tuesday night's second qualifying round second legs, the list of potential foes has narrowed.
Seeded Status Secured
Martin O'Neill's side, who clinched the title on the final day, bypassed the earlier qualifying rounds. Runners-up Hearts were eliminated by Sturm Graz, losing 6-0 on aggregate. Celtic enter the draw as a seeded team.
Potential Opponents
Three teams are now certain to be in the draw, barring major surprises from Wednesday's ties. The possible opponents include:
- Viking Stavanger (NOR) – The Norwegian champions won their first Eliteserien title in 34 years last season, finishing above Bodo/Glimt. They currently sit second in the league, just one point behind Bodo, and are 14 games into their season, meaning they are match-fit.
- LASK Linz (AUS) – The Austrian Bundesliga champions beat Sturm Graz by two points and Red Bull Salzburg by ten. They also won the Austrian Cup. Manager Dietmar Kuhbauer has added former St Mirren defender Miguel Freckleton. On paper, LASK represents a winnable tie.
- AEK Athens (GRE) – The Greek champions are the strongest unseeded team Celtic could face. They defeated Aberdeen 6-0 last season and feature former Livingston and Hearts defender James Penrice, who Celtic have enquired about. Ex-Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic is a key threat.
- NK Celje (SLO) or Aarat-Armenia (ARM) – The Slovenian champions still need to get through their third-round qualifier against Aarat-Armenia. Celje beat Egnatia on penalties, while Aarat squeezed past Shamrock Rovers. One of them will be in Monday's draw.
Nightmare Rematch Possible
Kairat Almaty, who stunned Celtic on penalties last season and sent them to the Europa League, could still be drawn. Their tie against Omonia Nicosia is finely balanced, with Kairat trailing 1-0 on aggregate. Other unseeded teams include Craiova or Levski Sofia, with Craiova leading 1-0.
