CELTIC v LASK IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

CELTIC will face the Austrians of LASK in the Champions League play-offs.

The Hoops will play the first leg at Parkhead with the tie scheduled for August 18/19 with the second leg the following midweek.

The club’s £17million summer buys, Kasper Hogh, from Bodo/Glimt, and Camilo Duran, from Qarabag, will hopefully give the team a cutting edge against the Austrians.

With Brendan Rodgers in charge, Celtic’s interest in the elite competition didn’t get beyond the qualifying stage last season after two drab and uninspiring encounters with Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty where they couldn’t score a goal in three and a half hours’ football.

Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda all missed from the spot in the penalty-kick shoot-out to compound the misery.

Hopefully, Martin O’Neill’s men will heed the painful lesson of a year ago.

The champions play Dundee United at Tannadice in the Premier Sports League Cup before the first leg.

Celtic then have a clear weekend before the return tie.

FULL DRAW

Levski Sofia or Karat Almaty v AEK Athens;

CELTIC v LASK;

GNK Dinamo or Kauno Zalgiris v Viking;

Mjallby or Slovan Bratislava v Ararat-Armenia or Celje;

Hapoel Be’er-Sheva or Red Star Belgrade v Aarhus or Sabah;

Fenerbahce or Sturn Graz v Sparta Prague or Lyon;

Olympiakos or NEC v Union SG or Bodo/Glimt

*DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best action images from tonight’s Celtic v Dundee Premiership opener at Parkhead – only in your champion CQN.