Two clubs chasing qualification for the UEFA Champions League will do battle today in a match between NK Maribor and Celtic. The playoff scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at the Stadion Ljudski vrt in Maribor and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on Fox Sports 2.
It's been 15 years since NK Maribor last graced the Champions League group stages with their presence. The small Slovenian club remains one final step from doing so in 2014, but are well aware of the task at hand. Manager Ante Simundza expects an aggressive Celtic side to visit his grounds this afternoon.
"We know very well the weaknesses and strengths of our visitors from Glasgow," Simundza said (via UEFA). "With their new coach, they play a more Scandinavian game with a lot of fast running and with very dynamic players all around the pitch. The Celtic coach is young and new, meaning his ideas are maybe not so visible yet. We are ready for their aggressive style, but first we have to impose our style of play on them."
"It is true that Celtic lost 6-1 to Legia over two legs," he added. "But they had a lot of bad luck and missed a lot of chances. This result must not influence our players."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Celtic's Callum McGregor brings a finishing touch to the club's young midfield. The 21-year-old went 90 minutes in the season opener, contributing a goal in the 3-0 victory over St. Johnstone.
Maribor's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Handanovič; Stojanovič, Rajčevič, Šuler, Viler; Vršič, Derviševič, Filipović, Bohar; Ibraimi, Tavares
Celtic's Projected Lineup (4-4-1-1): Gordon; Lustig, Denayer, Van Dijk, Izaguirre; McGregor, Johansen, Mulgrew, Berget; Commons; Stokes
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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