251102 -- LIVERPOOL, Nov. 2, 2025 -- Liverpool s Ryan Gravenberch celebrates after scoring the second goal during the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC in Liverpool, Britain, on Nov. 1, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR LIVE SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. SPBRITAIN-LIVERPOOL-FOOTBALL-PREMIER LEAGUE-LIVERPOOL VS ASTON VILLA Xinhua PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Celtic now have a clear picture of the eight sides they could face in the Champions League playoff round following a dramatic conclusion to the second qualifying round.
Martin O’Neill’s men enter the champions path after seeing off Hearts on the final day of the season to claim the Scottish crown, and will be seeded for Monday’s draw.
The club know the perils of this stage all too well, having been knocked out by Kairat Almaty last season in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the same point in the competition.
Celtic could face the Kazakh outfit once again, as Kairat overcame Omonoia in a penalty shoot-out to secure their own progression to the third round.
The Hoops go into the hat for Monday’s draw alongside Levski Sofia, who advanced via a 3-2 aggregate victory over Craiova, setting up a crack at a playoff place.
A dramatic night in Poland also reshaped the draw significantly, as AEK moved up to the champions path at the direct expense of Lech Poznan, who crashed out of the competition.
Poznan collapsed to a 4-1 defeat on home turf despite carrying a 4-1 first leg lead into the match against Aarhus, losing on penalties and eliminating former Celtic wide man Luis Palma’s club.
Celtic therefore dodged a potentially difficult heavyweight clash with the Greek champions AEK, whose promotion to the champions path shook up the seedings considerably.
The Danes now go into the hat alongside Azerbaijani side Sabah, while Slovenian champions NK Celje and Aarat-Armenia will also be drawn together as unseeded sides.
Celje beat Albanian outfit Egnatia on penalties to advance, while Aarat squeezed past League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers in Dublin to seal their spot in the draw.
Fresh from a league and cup double in Austria, LASK Linz enter the unseeded side of the draw despite finishing two points above Sturm Graz and ten points clear of Danny Rohl’s Red Bull Salzburg.
Viking Stavanger also feature on the unseeded side after claiming the Norwegian title for the first time in 34 years last season, dethroning the previously dominant Bodo/Glimt in the process.
About the Author
