Celtic will hope to salvage some pride and take a step towards securing their place in the Europa League group stage when they take on Suduva Marijampole in the first leg of their play-off tie.
Brendan Rodgers' men dropped into UEFA's second-tier club competition following their elimination from the Champions League qualifiers at the hands of AEK Athens last week, when they lost 3-2 on aggregate.
The defeat is a major blow to the Scottish champions, who had been rubbing shoulders with Europe's elite at the continent's top table in the previous two seasons.
In Suduva, they face another team who were dumped out of the Champions League, with the Lithuanian side losing to Red Star Belgrade in the second qualifying round.
| Game | Suduva Marijampole vs Celtic |
| Date | Thursday, August 23 |
| Time | 6pm BST / 1pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US) the game will be not be shown live on television, but it is available to stream live online outside of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland via Celtic TV.
Next Match
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | Celtic TV |
In the UK, the game can be viewed live on television on Premier Sports 1 and it can be streamed online using the Premier player.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier player |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Suduva squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kardum, Aleksandrov-Ridley, Stebrys |
| Defenders | Cinikas, Gaiduchik, Isoda, Svrljuga, Zivanovic, Slavickas, Jankauskas |
| Midfielders | Leimonas, Matulevicius, Cadjenovic, Acevedo, Verbickas, Guilherme, Vezevicius, Offenbacher |
| Forwards | Kasparavicius, Topcagic, Cicilia |
Suduva will look to Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Finkler for inspiration, while striker Rigino Cicilia is their main goal threat and has already scored three goals in six European outings this season.
As well as that, there are a number of Lithuania internationals in the squad, including former Zenit midfielder Ovidijus Verbickas.
Potential Suduva XI: Kardum; Slavickas, Jankauskas, Gaiduchik, Svrljuga; Leimonas, Guilherme, Vezevicius, Cadjenovic, Verbickas; Cicilia.
| Position | Celtic squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gordon, Bain, Hazard, Mullen |
| Defenders | J. Hendry, Simunovic, Gamboa, Boyata, Lustig, Compper, Ajer, Church, Duffy, Deas, McInroy, Ralston, Walsh, Tierney, Bell |
| Midfielders | Brown, Sinclair, Morgan, Rogic, Allan, Ntcham, Robertson, McGregor, Forrest, Henderson, Kennedy, McLaughlin, McKay, Marku, Kouassi |
| Forwards | Griffiths, Dembele, Hayes, Christie, Edouard, Miller, R. Hendry, Hill, McGrath, Diver, Johnston, Savoury, Aitchison |
Rodgers says that want-away defender Dedryk Boyata remains in contention to play despite discontent brewing over rejected bids for the Belgium international. Leigh Griffiths has returned to full fitness and will be vying for a starting position with Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard.
Potential Celtic XI: Gordon; Lustig, Simunovic, Hendry, Tierney; Brown, Forrest, McGregor, Ntcham, Rogic; Griffiths.
Betting & Match Odds
Celtic are strong favourites to triumph in the first leg, despite being away from home, with bet365 offering odds of 2/5 on a Bhoys victory. Suduva are priced at 15/2 to win and a draw is a 10/3 bet.
Match Preview
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Failure to secure a place in the Champions League group stage this season has led to serious questions being asked of Rodgers and his future as Celtic manager.
Missing out on a place in the final 32 of Europe's premier club competition means that the Scottish champions will have to make do without a significant financial boost and they will also lose some of their allure in the transfer market as players consider the pros and cons of joining the Glasgow club.
However, their elimination blow has been softened somewhat by the chance of taking a proverbial 'back-door' entry into the Europa League, which is a competition they will feel capable of going far in.
Off-field issues surrounding key players seeking an exit have not helped amid a run of disappointing results, but Rodgers managed to steady the ship with a convincing 3-1 win over Partick Thistle in the League Cup.
With season targets now shifting, the Bhoys will be desperate to take the advantage in Marijampole ahead of the second leg at Celtic Park, where Rodgers and Co. can dispel any lingering doubts.
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