After easing past Sarajevo, Celtic’s quest for Champions League football continues on Wednesday at Parkhead against Nomme Kalju.
Neil Lennon’s side won home and away against the Bosnian champions to secure a 5-2 victory on aggregate and move to within six matches of a return to the big time.
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Standing in their way in the second qualifying round is the Estonian outfit, who needed a last-second away goal to overcome Macedonian side Shkendija.
The Hoops start as hot favourites to go on and play Maccabi Tel-Aviv or Cluj, but know they cannot take their latest opponents lightly.
| Game | Celtic vs Nomme Kalju |
| Date | Wednesday, July 24 |
| Time | 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | Celtic TV |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast or available for streaming.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | n/a |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Celtic squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gordon, Bain, Mullen, Doohan, Hazard |
| Defenders | Bolingoli-Mbombo, Simunovic, Jullien, Ralston, Church, Deas, McInroy, Welsh, Ajer |
| Midfielders | Brown, Christie, Sinclair, Ntcham, McGregor, Morgan, Kouassi, Arzani, Bitton, Forrest, Kennedy, Henderson, Mckay |
| Forwards | Griffiths, Bayo, Edouard, Hayes, Miller, Mcgrath, Savoury, Aitchison, Dembele |
Christopher Jullien is a doubt for Wednesday’s fixture, while it seems unlikely that Mikey Johnston will be fit to play after suffering injury in the first leg against Sarajevo.
Kristoffer Ajer will continue at right-back, with a deal to sign Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s Hatem Abd Elhamed having only been completed on Wednesday.
Kieran Tierney’s future remains uncertain, but it seems the defender will be staying with Celtic.
Possible Celtic starting XI: Bain; Ajer, Simunovic, Bitton, Bolingoli-Mbombo; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Christie, Morgan; Edouard
| Position | Nomme Kalju squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Teles, Perk, Londak |
| Defenders | Kulinits, Reintam, Avilov, Ugge, Tjapkin, Demidov, Ivanjusin, Markovych |
| Midfielders | Mbu Alidor, Masitsev, Subbotin, Puri, Paur |
| Forwards | Liliu, Kirss, Volkov, Klein, Mata |
Nomme Kalju are expected to field a team along the lines of that which beat Shkendija last week.
Possible Nomme Kalju starting XI: Londak; Markovych, Ugge, Avilov, Kulinits; Paur, Mbu Alidor, Subbotin, Mashichev; Liliu, Klein
Betting & Match Odds
Celtic are red-hot 1/25 favourites with Bet365. Nomme Kalju are 28/1 to cause an upset, while a draw is on offer at 14/1.
Match Preview
Celtic’s latest European adventure continues on Wednesday with a home match against Estonian champions Nomme Kalju.
On paper, it is a fixture that looks more straightforward than their opening tie against Sarajevo, especially when it is considered that their rivals only snuck into this round through the back door, grabbing a 91st-minute winner through Brazilian striker Liliu to beat Macedonian outfit Shkendija on the away goals rule.
Attitude will be vital to the Hoops’ chances of progression, but Kristoffer Ajer is confident that the mentality of the squad is a strong one.
“Everyone is extremely professional and helping and encouraging each other. We all work very hard and are in the gym after training to continue the hard work,” he told the club’s official website.
“This kind of environment helps us develop our talents, so our attitude is shaped by the environment and we all know we won’t succeed here if we don’t have the right attitude. Everyone is feeling really fit and eager to get down to playing in the big competitive games now.”
One man particularly eager to prove himself in the weeks ahead is Leigh Griffiths, who spent much of the 2018-19 season on personal leave to fight mental health challenges.
“It was very hard being away, and very lonely at times,” he admitted this week. “Without the help of the club and support of friends and family I wouldn’t be sitting here now. It’s a massive thank you to them. It’s been a long and difficult road but thankfully there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
“Neil Lennon told me this season is clean slate and told me to go and show everyone that you can still be a top player - and that's what I'm trying to do.”
Griffiths, then, will be eager to put the Estonians to the sword as Celtic push to return to the Champions League after a one-year absence.
For the eastern Europeans, meanwhile, they will be aiming to avoid a rapid rematch with Shkendija, as the loser of this tie will play the winner of their fixture against Dudelange in the Europa League.