CELTIC will fancy their chances of getting through the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Neil Lennon and his side wonât be shaking in their boots at the prospect of the teams they could face having lifted the title last season. The draw on July 20 will throw up some interesting names with Rangersâ Europa League conquerors last term, Maribor, one of the sides Celtic could play â if the Slovenians see off Bosnian champs Zeljeznicar. League of Ireland title winners Shamrock Rovers will also lie in wait if they get past Ekranas of Lithuania. Stephen Kennyâs Irish side have decent continental experience having surprised many by getting to the group stages of the Europa League last season. Hungarian champions Debrecen have also been among the big boys before, reaching the group stages of the Champions League in the 2009-10 campaign. Celtic could also face Ole Gunnar Solskjaerâs Molde, who won the Norwegian league for the first time last term under the former Manchester United star. However, Solskjaerâs men first have to safely negotiate a way past Latvian side Ventspils. Northern Irelandâs top team Linfield could go head to head with the Hoops but have to clear two hurdles first â B36 Torshavn of the Faroe Islands in the first preliminary round and then Cypriots AEL Limassol. The rest of the teams Celtic could face are hardly frightening with the likes of Georgians Zestafoni looking to get into the Champions League for the first time. If Neil Lennonâs men get through the third qualifying round theyâll then face a play-off against one of the remaining sides. Teams Celtic could draw: Sheriff Tiraspol (Mol)/Ulisses (Arm), Debrecen (Hun)/Skenderbeu Korce (Alb), Maribor (Slo)/Zeljeznicar (Bos), Ventspils (Lat)/Molde (Nor), Slovan Liberec (Cze)/Shakhtar Karagandy (Kaz), Slask Wroclaw (Pol)/Buducnost (Mon), HJK Helsinki (Fin)/KR Rejkavik (Ice), AEL Limassol (Gre)/Linfield (NIr)/HB Torshavn (FIs), Ekranas (Lith)/Shamrock Rovers (Eire), Zestafoni (Geo)/Netfchi Baku (Aze).
I want to avoid the Khazakstani and Georgian teams. Linfield or Shamrock Rovers would be a laugh for utterly different reasons.
Looking at the list, the teams I know best from the last few years in Europe and are likely (I say likely - you never ****ing know) to be the best teams within that group would be the Hungarian and Czech teams. Debrecen and Slovan Liberec have both been in the group stages of the Europa League in recent years - I know Shamrock have as well but those two particular names stick out a wee bit. I'd still prefer either of those teams to one of the really far Eastern teams.
