Celtic Champions League play-off, AEK Athens and Mika Baur shades of John McGinn | OneFootball

Celtic’s path to the all lucrative and prestigious Champions League group stage is taking shape, with the draw for the play-off scheduled to take place on Monday at 5pm in Nyon, Switzerland…

Temirlan Anarbekov of Kairat clutches the ba during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

And being a seeded side, Celtic in theory anyway, stand a good chance of qualifying for the group stages However we all know from painful previous experiences, most recently against Kairat Almaty last summer that nothing can be taken for granted.

List of Celtic’s potential unseeded opponents taking shape

Here’s how things are shaping up at the moment. Celtic is poised to face the likes of Norwegian side Viking Stavanger, Austrian outfit LASK Linz, whilst the likes of Slovenia’s NK Celje or Aarat-Armenia also in with a chance of providing the opposition in the money-spinning play-off.

Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia, who were once coached by Neil Lennon are also a possibility, holding a 1-0 win over our old foes Kairat Almaty, but they meet later today in Kazakhstan for a place in the final play off.

Martin O’Neill of Celtic FC. Sporting CP v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, Estadio Algarve, Portugal – 14 July 2026. Photo Zed Jameson IMAGO/ Shutterstock

The toughest obstacle Martin O’Neill’s side can face in the two legged shootout is without doubt Greek side AEK Athens who are unseeded, but were so nearly promoted to the same pot as Celtic, only for Dynamo Zagreb to pull off a spirited comeback last night to come from behind to avoid defeat to Swiss side FC Thun.

AEK Athens are probably a side we would want to avoid

AEK Athens are probably a side we would want to avoid, with our defeat to the Greek side back in 2018 still fresh in the mind. That of course was an unhappy summer with Celtic missing out on a midfielder because we would got a few hundred grand more for his signature with the player absolutely desperate at the time to join Celtic.

Mika Baur of SC Paderborn reacts during the 2. Bundesliga match between SV 07 Elversberg and SC Paderborn 07 at Ursapharm-Arena on May 03, 2026 in Spiesen-Elversberg, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Baur situation reminds me of John McGinn standoff back in 2018

If that doesn’t sound familiar then have a read at my previous article on Mika Baur.  The midfielder in the exact same position back in the summer of 2018 was of course John McGinn.

What you need to know about Champions League

When is the Champions League play-off games due to be played?

The first legs are scheduled for 18 or 19 August with the returns on 25 or 26 August.

When is the League phase draw for the Champions League?

If Martin O’Neill and his players are successful in their play-off ties, they will go into the draw for the eight game League phase on Thursday 27 August.

They would face a further eight games in that competition.

Celtic Park ahead of the Celtic v AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on July 25, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Matchday 1: 8-10 September 2026

Matchday 2: 13-14 October 2026

Matchday 3: 20-21 October 2026

Matchday 4: 3-4 November 2026

Matchday 5: 24/25 November 2026

Matchday 6: 8-9 December 2026

Matchday 7: 19/20 January 2027

Matchday 8: 27 January 2027

Celtic Park ahead of the Celtic v AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on July 25, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Europa League Details

In the event that Celtic fall at the play-off hurdle, just like last year then similarly we will drop into the Europa League, League phase where we will face another eight games with the games being played on Thursday nights.

The draw for Europe’s secondary competition takes place on Friday 28 August.

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Celtic manager Martin O’Neill arrives at the ground ahead of kick off in the Celtic v AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on July 25, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)