TipResumen

CELTIC

After winning back to back trebles domestically under Brendan Rodgers Celtic remain the team to beat in Scotland, but it could be argued that guiding this club into the Group Stage of the Champions League twice in a row is his biggest achievement as manager. Making it through for a third consecutive year is a real challenge for Celtic who had to begin life this season in the First Qualifying Round and now have to beat the Greek Champions to simply make it into the Play Off Round. With the winner of this tie down to play either Malmo or Vidi in the Play Off Round, Celtic fans may rightly believe this is the biggest obstacle in preventing them joining the big clubs in the Champions League Group Stage. Wins over Alashkert and Rosenborg will have given Celtic confidence to take into this First Leg, while Celtic are now unbeaten in 11 home Champions League Qualifiers and have won 10 of those games. Celtic were able to comfortably beat Livingston last weekend which means they have opened the 2018/19 season with 4 wins from the first 5 games played in all competitions. They have won all 3 games played at Celtic Park this season while scoring at least three times in each of those games. Olivier Ntcham is a doubt for this fixture having had an ankle knock in the win over Livingston.



AEK ATHENS

A 24 year wait for a Greek Championship came to an end for AEK Athens at the end of last season, but clubs from this Division have not had a big enough impact at European level to earn a direct entry into the Group Stage of the Champions League. Unlike Celtic, AEK Athens at least earned a reprieve from having to take part in the early Qualifiers and instead entered the Champions League in the Third Qualifying Round. This is the second season in a row in which AEK Athens have taken part in the Champions League Qualifiers and they will be hoping they can use the experience of the disappointing defeat to CSKA Moscow to good effect. Following that exit AEK Athens did make the Last 32 in the Europa League and the side and they were unbeaten in all 10 games played in that competition after losing home and away to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League Qualifiers. AEK Athens have been playing in a number of friendly games to build the fitness for the Champions League Qualifiers, but this will be the first competitive fixture since losing the Greek Cup to PAOK in the middle of May. They have only lost 1 of their last 20 away games in all competitions which will give the Greek Champions some confidence to take into this First Leg.



HEAD TO HEAD

Celtic and AEK Athens will play one another for the first time in a competitive fixture.