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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Key Celtic Champions League dates revealed as Neil Lennon's manic fixture run mapped out

Premiership champions Celtic will find out their Champions League first and second qualifying round opponents on August 9 and 10.

Neil Lennon 's side are braced for a condensed 11-game run between qualifying and group stage if they reach tournament proper for first time in three seasons

The first qualifying round will take place on either August 18 or 19 with a decision on whether Celtic will play at home or away decided by the draw.

The next round will take place a week later and then there is a break of almost a month before the third qualifying round, due to take place on September 16/17.

They will then discover their next foes for the next two rounds over a two-day period between August 31 and September 1.

Celtic's first three qualifying rounds will all be one-legged affairs up until the do-or-die playoff - a stage the Hoops have failed to reach since defeating Astana back in 2017.

The playoff will revert to the traditional two-legged approach we expect from Champions League qualifying and take place on September 22/23 and 29/30.

(PA)

If the Hoops reach the lucrative group stage they will be keeping a close eye on the draw which will be made on October 1 from UEFA headquarters in Nyon.

There will be then two fixtures in October, November and December before the tournament's calendar reverts back to normal in 2021.

Champions League 20/21 calendar in full

Preliminary round: August 8 and 11

Qualifying round one draw: August 9

Qualifying round two draw: August 10

First qualifying round: August 18 and 19

Second qualifying round: August 25 and 26

Third qualifying round draw - August 31

Playoff draw - September 1

Third qualifying round: September 15 and 16

Playoffs: September 22 and 23 and 29 and 30

Group stage draw: October 1

Group stage: October 20 and 21 and 27 and 28

November 3 and 4 and 24 and 25

December 1 and 2 and 8 and 9

 
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