Celtic could suffer Champions League tragedy in Greece

Champions League qualifying
BT Sport 2, 7pm Tuesday

Celtic's hopes of making a third straight Champions League group-stage campaign are in the balance after a 1-1 draw against AEK Athens last week with the Greek champions well placed to put Brendan Rodgers’ men out of the competition.

The Bhoys took an early lead against the rusty Greeks in the first leg, bossed much of the opening period and played the best part of 40 minutes against ten men after Konstantinos Galanopoulos was sent off.

Yet it was honours even at the final whistle and the odds are definitely stacked against them now.

Celtic's fans and backers must be hoping a week of negatives can be turned into a positive.

On the pitch, the 1-1 draw with AEK was followed by a dismal 1-0 loss at Hearts on Saturday.

Defender Dedryck Boyata was missing at Tynecastle with the Belgian appearing to have gone on strike after failing to get a summer move away from Glasgow and with Kristoffer Ajer suspended and Jozo Simunovic and Jack Hendry liabilities too often, Celtic have reasons to be fearful.

The temperature at kick-off will be around the 30 degree mark and the Greeks, reborn of late after hitting hard times, hardly ever lose at home. Their last five home matches en route to May’s title success were wins to nil.

On-loan Braga man Alef should come into midfield while their skipper Petros Mantalos hopes to be fit as well.

They still haven’t started their league season but the match in Glasgow will have removed some rustiness and Marinos Ouzounidis’s men looked well organised and dangerous on the counter. Don’t expect much of a change from that approach having nicked the all-important away goal last week.

Celtic need to remember how they won 3-0 at Anderlecht 11 months ago, although Rodgers’ current side look a lot more flawed and their away record in Europe is very poor.

Recommendation
AEK Athens
1pt 17-10 BoyleSports, Coral

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Team news
AEK Athens
Midfielder Konstantinos Galanopoulos is suspended. Skipper Petros Mantalos has recovered from a knock which ruled him out of the first leg.

Celtic
Moussa Dembele has travelled after a month out through injury. Unhappy defender Dedryck Boyata appears to be on strike while another, Kristoffer Ajer, is suspended and a third, Marvin Compper, injured.

Key stat
Celtic have won just four of 16 away Champions League ties under Brendan Rodgers.

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