Wanyama's Celtic eye ending four-year CL wait - Capital Sports
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Headlines

Wanyama’s Celtic eye ending four-year CL wait

PARIS, France, August 21 – Celtic aim to reach the Champions League group stages for the first time in four years when they tackle Swedish side Helsingborgs on Tuesday in a game where the legacy of former Hoops star Henrik Larsson looms large.

Larsson spent seven years with the Glasgow giants but started and finished his career with the Swedish champions.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon said that despite his close relationship with Larsson, he will not be seeking inside information ahead of their play-off first leg tie in Sweden on Tuesday.

“Henrik will have a foot in both camps and I’m sure his head will be spinning with people ringing him, whether it be from Celtic’s side, Helsingborgs’ side or the press,” said Lennon.

“I’m sure he will be getting inundated with requests for information and interviews. I am going to leave him to it. I wouldn’t want to put him in that position. We have plenty of people who will do plenty of homework.”

Larsson hit 242 goals in 315 competitive appearances for Celtic during a career which featured two spells with Helsingborg — first from 1992-93 and then from 2006-09.

Celtic will host the return leg on August 29 with the winners progressing to the group stages along with the nine other victors of the play-off ties.

Germany’s Borussia Moenchengladbach are looking to reach Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 1978 but first must get the better of experienced European campaigners Dynamo Kiev.

Moenchengladbach’s fourth-place finish in last season’s Bundesliga has taken them to within one step of making a group stage debut.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Dynamo reached the play-offs by beating Feyenoord 3-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round.

In other ties, Spartak Moscow meet Fenerbahce of Turkey looking to reach the group stages for the 11th time.

Danish league runners-up Copenhagen tackle Lille having lost three of their four previous home matches against French visitors.

On Wednesday, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona take on Belarusian side BATE Borisov looking to follow in the footsteps of Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Hapoel Tel-Aviv and become the fourth Israeli club to compete in the group stages.

Limassol of Cyprus face Anderlecht with the Belgians hoping to end a run of four successive failures in qualifying between 2007 and 2010.

Spain’s Malaga tackle Panathinaikos in what could be an intriguing tie.

Panathinaikos coach Jesualdo Ferreira was hired as Malaga boss in June 2010 but lasted just five months before being replaced by Manuel Pellegrini.

Play-offs 1st leg matches

Tuesday

Spartak Moscow (RUS) v Fenerbahce (TUR), Basel (SUI) v Cluj (ROM), Helsingborg (SWE) v Celtic (SCO), Moenchengladbach (GER) v Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Copenhagen (DEN) v Lille (FRA)

Wednesday

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Bate Borisov (BLR) v Kiryat Shmona (ISR), Limassol (CYP) v Anderlecht (BEL), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Maribor (SLO), Braga (POR) v Udinese (ITA), Malaga (ESP) v Panathinaikos (GRE)

2nd legs: August 28 and 29

Advertisement

More on Capital Sports

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a treat of the world’s best football this week as the 2020-21...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – There is light at the end of the tunnel. After failed promises over the last three years since its...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – Gentrix Shikangwa scored with two minutes left as Vihiga Queens sailed to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers...

NFL

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Kenya’s history making Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in America’s National Football League (NFL), is now living...

© 2024 Capital Digital Media. Capital Group Limited. All Rights Reserved