Celtic can take a step closer to the Champions League group stage on Wednesday when they host Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK for the first leg of their third-round qualifier.
Ronny Deila's side thrashed Stjarnan in the last round, while Qarabag edged past Rudar Pljevlja.
Celtic
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Scottish champions Celtic will be eager to gain a healthy first-leg advantage when they host Qarabag in the third round of Champions League qualifying on Wednesday.
The Hoops made sure of their progress in the last round thanks to a 6-1 aggregate thumping of Icelandic champions Stjarnan.
However, a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the tie meant that Deila's men experienced some nerves in the second leg, particularly when Stjarnan took the lead.
Celtic have been in solid form so far this summer, winning their last five matches in a row. Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 friendly win over French side Rennes.
Reaching the group stage of the Champions League is hugely important to Celtic, a fact which was reinforced earlier this week when assistant coach John Collins suggested that defender Virgil van Dijk could leave the club if they fail to make it through to that stage of the competition.
The Bhoys missed out on a place in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2011 last year as they were knocked out in qualifying by NK Maribor.
Recent form: WW
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWW
Qarabag FK
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Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK travel to Glasgow having edged into the third round of Champions League qualifying with a narrow win over Montenegrin counterparts Rudar Pljevlja.
The two sides drew 0-0 in the first leg before Qarabag earned a decisive 1-0 victory in the return tie at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku.
Qarabag have never qualified for the Champions League group stage, though their only previous qualification campaign came last season when they were knocked out in the third round by Salzburg.
Current manager Gurban Gurbanov has been in charge of the side since summer 2008 and enjoys a healthy win-rate of just over 50%. The 43-year-old has guided Qarabag to two league titles and two Azerbaijani Cups during his time at the helm.
Celtic will be keen to contain Brazilian striker Reynaldo, who has scored 46 goals in 93 appearances for Qarabag. His prowess in the final third makes him the club's second highest goalscorer of all time.
Recent form: DW
Recent form (all competitions): LWLDDW
Team News
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Celtic midfielder Gary Mackay-Steven has been struggling through illness, but the Scotland international is expected to be fit for Wednesday's encounter.
Kris Commons is available again for the hosts after spending a few weeks on the sidelines with a foot injury. However, Charlie Mulgrew will miss out due to a minor ankle problem.
Despite his domestic suspension, summer signing Nadir Ciftci will be eligible for Celtic and is expected to start in attack.
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Ambrose, Izaguirre; Brown, Bitton; Armstrong, Johansen, Mackay-Steven; Ciftci
Qarabag possible starting lineup:
Sehic; Sadiqov, Medvedev, Qarayev, Huseynov; Agolli, El Jadeyaoui, Quintana, Richard; Diniyev, Reynaldo
Head To Head
This will be the first time that the two teams have met.
We say: Celtic 2-0 Qarabag
Celtic will be the favourites to win the first leg on home turf, but it would not be a surprise if they made things hard for themselves going into the return fixture. The Hoops have won their last five matches, though they have struggled to impress on a consistent level. Qarabag, who have much less to lose, would be satisfied to leave Glasgow with a chance of turning the tie around when they get back to Baku.
Jack Prescott
