BERGET IS MALMO SECRET WEAPON

CELTIC loan flop Jo Inge Berget can provide the key to knocking the Parkhead club out of the Champions League.

That’s the hope of Malmo as they prepare for the first leg of the play-off in Glasgow on Wednesday, August 19, with the return in Sweden on Tuesday, August 25.

Berget scored just twice for Ronny Deila’s side during an unsuccessful loan spell from Cardiff City last season, but has revived his career since moving to the Swedish champions

Malmo coach Age Hareide now admits that tapping into Berget’s knowledge of the Hoops squad will be invaluable.

Hareide is confident about victory as he seeks a different outcome from the summer of 2012, when his Helsingborgs side lost to Celtic at the same stage of Europe’s elite competition.

The 61-year-old Norwegian said: “This is a fine draw for us against a team we know we can beat.

“It is also a revenge mission for me. And I plan to speak immediately to Jo Inge and see what he can tell me.

“He knows Celtic very well after his time on loan there. We are going to find out everything about them thanks to him.”

Hareide will not, however, be picking up the phone to the Glasgow giants’ most famous Swede, Henrik Larsson.

He added: “It was a long time ago that Henrik played for Celtic so it is not likely that we will ask him.

“But we will have lots of information on them. I watched them on DVD because I knew there was a chance we could get drawn against them and I will probably go to Scotland to watch them again.”

Berget was happy to land a reunion with a former club, claiming: “This was the draw I had hoped for.

“Celtic are a good team with great traditions. It will be tough, but fun. They’re used to winning much in the league. They are probably very hungry to reach the Champions League.

“I know some of the players so I know what they are good at doing. But I believe we have a good chance of beating Celtic.”

Malmo currently sit sixth in the Swedish league, seven points behind leaders Gothenburg after 18 games. They reached the Champions League play-off after a 3-0 home win over Red Bull Salzburg wiped out a two-goal first-leg deficit.