What lies ahead if Celtic overcome LASK on aggregate

With only one game standing between Celtic and a return to the Champions League group stages, supporters have been speculating as to who we will meet should be get through tomorrow evening…

We aren’t over the line just yet of course, as we still need to produce a professional performance against a quality LASK side in Linz, but there’s no harm in looking ahead to what possibly lays in wait.

Below are a list of the most likely questions on the lips of the Celtic supporters, should we prevail and book our place among European football’s elite competition tomorrow evening.

When does the draw for the league phase of the Champions League take place?

The draw for the league phase of the Champions League will take place on Thursday, 27 August. The draw will begin at 5.00pm UK time and it will be held in Monaco.

What pot would Celtic be in if they progress to the league phase?

Due to their ranking points total, Celtic’s pot will depend on the results of other games. If Celtic progress through their tie with LASK and Bodo/Glimt and Dinamo Zagreb lose their ties against NEC Nijmegan and Viking respectively, then the Hoops will be in pot 3.

If either Bodo/Glimt or Dinamo Zagreb win their ties, Celts will be in pot 4. Given that Bodo/Glimt won away from home in the Netherlands in the first leg you’d expect them to progress = meaning Celtic will be a pot 4 side.

As each team will face two representatives from each pot, Celtic will face two teams from each of pots 1, 2, 3 and 4 regardless of which pot they are in.

This means Celts would face two of the teams from the top pot, which consists of: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

As you’d expect it’s a tough challenge that lays ahead, should we book our place in the group stages for the fifth time in six years.

But let’s get there first. Tomorrow is going to be a tough match for Celtic with LASK getting ready to throw the kitchen sink at us. They’ll be desperate for an early goal which will give them hope and perhaps momentum.

It could end up being a game that Celtic will have to score in and if that’s the case we certainly have the firepower this time around.

If Celtic go out tomorrow night then we’ll be in the Europa League draw on Friday…