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It was an excellent night at the office for Celtic and hopefully, you will have enjoyed our coverage. We will be back with more coverage throughout the coming days, weeks and months as VAVEL looks to continue to grow over the coming season.
Update from Romania
While Celtic look to be on their way to the next round, things aren't just as clear in the tie between Cluj and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Romanians won 1-0 in their home game but Maccabi will feel they can turn that around next week.
FULL TIME - Celtic 5-0 Nomme Kalju
Neil Lennon will be delighted with that. The game is virtually over ahead of next Tuesday's game in Tallinn and his team dominated the game from start to finish.
91' Leigh Griffiths is announced as man of the match inside the stadium.
90' Three added minutes to be played.
89' Good work from Johnston earns Celtic a corner but the keeper punches it clear.
88' Almost a goal for the visitors. Celtic failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Subbotin who toe-poked goalwards and it just went wide.
83' Celtic seem to be content now and the visitors get a corner. It's easily dealt with though.
78' Almost another from McGregor as he teams up with Edouard. He receives the ball on the edge of the box but his shot is just off target.
GOAL! Celtic (Callum McGregor) 5-0 Nomme Kalju
77' Callum McGregor, take a bow. He collects the ball on the left and lets a rocket go that just flies along the ground and straight into the bottom corner. A superb strike from the midfielder.
73' Forrest cuts out then back inside and unleashes a shot but it's off target.
Sub - Christie off for Ntcham
Another excellent reception for the man who grabbed two goals. Ntcham is now on despite recent comments about wanting to leave Celtic.
67' Johnston collects the ball on the left and goes after the full-back. He manages to cut inside and unleash a shot but Londak makes a good save. He doesn't deserve to be so far behind in this game but his teammates are being outclassed.
GOAL! Celtic (Ryan Christie) 4-0 Nomme Kalju
65' Morgan does well down the right but the visitors clear their lines. Unfortunately for them, it was only as far as Christie and he takes a touch before curling a lovely shot into the far corner with his left foot.
Booking - Jozo Simunovic
The big defender is no stranger to a yellow card and he receives one tonight for a poor tackle.
61' Forrest is the man who is now upfront with Morgan going to the right and Johnston still on the left. The new partnership almost make a dream start as Forrest plays in Edouard but the keeper saves it although the flag was up anyway.
Sub -Griffiths off for Morgan
Lewis Morgan comes on for Griffiths who receives another excellent reception from the home fans. Interesting to see who joins Edouard in attack now.
58' McGregor plays Johnston in behind the full-back and his pass commits the goalkeeper but it's cleared before it reaches Griffiths.
57' Griffiths takes down a McGregor pass but gets dispossessed. The loose ball falls to Christie but again Londak saves his low, powerful effort.
56' McGregor is the latest to get a shot off after being teed up by Edouard but it's straight at Londak.
54' Edouard has a run himself and beats one man but his shot from 20 yards is off-target.
52' Edouard holds off a defender before laying back to Christie. The Scot tries to curl a left-footed shot around Londak but the keeper is equal to it.
47' Londak is still a busy man in the visitors goal. He gets down well to tip a Johnston effort wide and then makes a stop from Forrest's shot from distance from the resulting corner.
Sub - Peter Klein off for Max Mata
Mata is more of a midfielder and Klein was a forward so it looks like it's damaged limitation time.
Second half underway
46' The teams are back out and the visitors get the game restarted.
Welcome to Celtic
John Hartson has left the pitch and the clubs new signing Hatem Abd Elhamed is now being unveiled to the crowd. The Isreali defender is wearing the famous hoops with the number 33 on the back. Elhamed says his dream has come true and that he has joined one of the biggest teams in the world.
John Hartson on the pitch
Celtic legend, John Hartson is currently on the pitch and has just earned someone a few quid by picking the winner of the half-time draw. The Welsh forward is back in Glasgow this week as he is one of the guests at a Festival the club is holding in the city this weekend.
Update from Romania
The winners of this tie will play the winners of Cluj and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. That game has about 10 minutes left and at the moment Cluj are leading 1-0.
HALF TIME - Celtic 3-0 Nomme Kalju
An utterly dominant display from Neil Lennon's team. It was beginning to look like one of those games that made you wonder how Celtic weren't ahead. Three goals in ten minutes mean that won't be the topic of conversation at half-time and it's no more than Celtic deserve.
GOAL! Celtic (Leigh Griffiths) 3-0 Nomme Kalju
48' Christie is fouled about 25 yards from goal. Leigh Griffiths steps up and that's a belter. He curls his shot up and over the wall which has the keeper diving but he can't get near it. Fantastic to see Griffiths score after a terrible time in his personal life.
Booking - Ryan Christie
46' Ryan Christie goes into the book after a rash tackle on Markovych.
45' Almost three. Griffiths cuts inside his man and fires a shot off but the defender gets back in to deflect it wide. Once again, nothing comes from the corner.
GOAL! Celtic (Ryan Christie (Pen)) 2-0 Nomme Kalju
43' There's a handball and it's a penalty to Celtic. Kulinits seems to think he's playing basketball and randomly knocks it down with his arm. Ryan Christie steps up and sends the keeper the wrong way to double Celtic's lead.
41' Edouard beats his man on the right-wing and crosses for Griffiths. His first touch takes him wide and he fires across goal but there's nobody there in green and white so the visitors get it clear.
40' That sub doesn't look to have changed Celtic's shape with Johnston now playing as a left wing-back
Sub - Bolingoli-Mbombo off for Johnston
37' In the aftermath of that goal, Celtic make a change with Bolingoli-Mbombo coming off for Mikey Johnston.
GOAL! Celtic (Kristoffer Ajer) 1-0 Nomme Kalju
36' Edouard is fouled right on the edge of the penalty area and Christie takes the free-kick. Griffiths and Ajer attack the cross and the last touch comes off Ajer before going in off the bar. Celtic well worth the lead.
35' Bolingoli-Mbombo looks to be okay for now. The corner is cleared to McGregor on the edge of the box but his volley is wide.
33' Another corner for Celtic as Edouard latches onto a great pass from McGregor and he does well to win the corner. Before the corner can be taken, Celtic's physio is on the pitch to deal with Bolingoli-Mbombo who is holding his right ankle.
30' The Estonians win a corner but it's wasted and ends up out for a throw-in on the far side.
28' Celtic get a reminder that the Estonians are here as they press high and dispossess Brown before Alidor hits a shot high and over the bar.
Straight from the restart, Celtic move forward and Christie gets a shot away from the edge of the box but it goes wide.
25' Celtic win their fifth corner of the game. Griffiths takes it and Ajer wins it at the back post but the keeper catches it at the feet of Simunovic.
24' Celtic are playing well here. Forrest and Edouard combine well on the right but the Estonians are defending well and are able to squeeze the winger wide and away from the danger area.
21' McGregor is fouled about 25 yards from goal in a central area and Griffiths steps up to take the free-kick. His left-footed shot is deflected off the wall but falls to Brown who shoots from point-blank range. However, the keeper spread himself well to make the stop.
20' Griffiths is the latest to go close for Celtic. Forrest plays a low cross into the Scotland international and Griffiths volleyed with his right foot but it's off target.
18' Good play from Edouard and McGregor sets the French striker free but the Estonians are quick to close the space and his shot is blocked. Edouard then has a chance from a corner but it looks like Simunovic got in the way of his header and blocked it.
15' To their credit, when the Estonians get the ball they are getting men forward. Bolingoli-Mbombo is caught out of position but the ball into the box misses everyone and Celtic get away with one.
14' Ajer gives away a free-kick and the Estonians have a chance to bring all their big men up but the low free-kick doesn't even make it into the box and Edouard clears.
12' It's been all Celtic so far but the Estonians are defending well. They have two banks of four and two upfront. The two attackers are playing very deep though and Celtic are essentially playing against an 11 man defence.
10' Ryan Christie picks up a loose ball outside the box and lets rip with a left-footed shot. The ball is swerving but Londak does well to read it and knock it away for a corner. The corner comes to nothing.
6' Celtic win a corner after good work from Forrest and Christie. Griffiths' cross goes over everyone except Simunovic at the back post but it hits the goalkeeper and goes wide. From the second corner, Simunovic gets another chance but this time the ball's on the ground and he has a centre-backs swing at it and slices it wide.
4' Celtic win a free-kick down their left wing. Christie whipped it into a dangerous area but the defence clear it. Celtic are definitely playing a 3-5-2 this evening.
0' Leigh Griffiths gets the game underway.
Teams are out
The teams are out, handshakes are done and prematch photos are taken. Brown and Ugge are swapping pennants and the game is about to start. It has to be said that Nomme Kalju are looking rather fetching in their pink top and socks with black shorts combination.
Five minutes to go
The Celtic subs are making their way out onto the bench as the pitch gets a last drop of water before the game gets underway. Scott Brown and Maximiliano Ugge will lead their teams out in a few minutes.
Nomme Kalju XI
The team news is in for the away side and their eleven is similar to the team that won in North Macedonia with just one change. Experienced Estonian international, Sander Puri returns to the starting lineup in place of Nikolay Mashichev.
Nomme Kalju : Londak; Markovych, Avilov, Ugge, Kulinits; Puri, Mbu Alidor, Subbotin, Paur; Liliu, Klein.
Is it a 3-5-2?
Most media seem to be agreeing with my first thoughts that Celtic are playing a 3-5-2 tonight. By my reckoning Ajer, Bitton and Simunovic are the defenders with Forrest and Bolingoli-Mbombo the wingbacks. Brown and McGregor will anchor the midfield with Christie playing behind Edouard and Griffiths.
Attacking lineup
That's quite an attacking lineup from Celtic with both Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard starting. My first thoughts are that may mean a 3-5-2 but it could also be a normal 4-2-3-1 with Edouard playing a little deeper. We don't have long to find out at least.
Celtic XI
📋 The #UCL team news is in...
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 24, 2019
Here's how #CelticFC will line up against @KaljuFC! #CELKAL pic.twitter.com/UvIPYDmfb4
One hour to go
We're about an hour from kickoff which means team news coming up.
Celtic hot favourites?
Celtic have never played an Estonian team and Nomme Kalju have never played a Scottish team but in the UEFA Coefficient Rankings, the Scottish league is 20th while the Estonian league is 46th. That would suggest Celtic should win but then again Kilmarnock lost in the Europa League to Connah's Quay Nomads who are from 48th placed Wales which would suggest Neil Lennon needs to ensure that his team doesn't underestimate their opponents.
Nomme Kalju's danger men
The majority of the Nomme Kalju team are Estonian but only two of them have been in the national team over the last 12 months. Sander Puri has been a regular for Estonia and has over 70 caps. He may be known to some football fans from these islands as he has previously played for St Mirren, York City, Sligo Rovers, and Waterford.
Robert Kirss has also been capped for Estonia but the 24-year-old forward has only played once for his country and wasn't in the most recent squads.
As well as the Estonian players, Nomme Kalju does have a few other players. Their captain is Italian defender, Maximiliano Ugge. He began his career at Inter Milan and was capped for the Azzurri at under-20 level. He never made the grade though and moved down the leagues in Italy before moving abroad.
The star man for the Estonian team is their top goalscorer, Liliu. He is a 29-year-old Brazilian who first moved to Europe in 2009 to play for Westerlo of Belgium. Since signing for Nomme Kalju he has averaged close to a goal a game.
Andriy Markovych is a Ukrainian and Celtic will be able to get the inside track on him from their own Ukrainian, Marian Shved. The two were teammates at Karpaty Lyiv although Markovych was never quite able to make the grade in his home country.
Who are Nomme Kalju?
It's fair to say that the Estonian champions are not a household name. They were originally formed in the Nomme district of Tallinn, Estonia in 1923 but they ceased to exist during World War II. They were re-established in 1997 but took a decade to reach the top flight. Since promotion in 2007, they have been able to remain there. They have won two league titles, an Estonian Cup and an Estonian Super Cup. Traditionally, their club colours are black and white but they have adopted a pink away kit which has led to their nickname, Roosad Pantrid (Pink Panthers).
Hatem Abd Elhamed
Neil Lennon hasn't been particularly secretive about this signing. They have been desperate to bring in a right-back since Lustig left and it looked for a while that former Leicester City full-back, Danny Simpson might have been the guy but he was supposedly told he wouldn't be the first choice and he didn't want to play backup.
Abd Elhamed is a 28-year-old defender. He has more recently been deployed as a centre-back but Lennon has made it clear that he sees him as a right-back. He has won one cap for Israel and although he has spent most of his career in his home country, he has also had brief spells in Romania and Belgium.
BREAKING NEWS
Right-back... Announced ✅
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 24, 2019
Hatem Abd Elhamed has joined #CelticFC from Hapoel Be’er Sheva on a four-year contract! #WelcomeHatem 🍀⚪️
➡️ https://t.co/U7mdH0mX02 pic.twitter.com/YjVR8lAEY5
Possible Celtic Lineup
Most of you will be more familiar with the Celtic team than the Nomme Kalju team so here are the likely starters for Celtic.
Scott Bain should continue in goal with a back four of Kristoffer Ajer, Nir Bitton, Jozo Simunovic and Bolingoli-Mbombo ahead of him. It's a bit of a makeshift defence for Celtic with really only Simunovic probably first choice. Ajer is a good player but has been played at right-back so far this season with Mikael Lustig leaving Celtic. New signing, Christopher Jullien will also slot in but he's still a bit away from being match fit.
In midfield, the likely duo will be Scott Brown and Callum McGregor as the two central midfielders. Ahead of them will be three of Scott Sinclair, Lewis Morgan, James Forrest and Ryan Christie with either Sinclair or Morgan the one most likely to be left out.
Upfront will be Odsonne Edouard. The young Frenchman will get the nod ahead of Leigh Griffiths who has returned to action after missing much of last season due to mental health issues.
Eight in a row and a treble treble
While Celtic haven't been at their best in Europe, they have been completely dominant domestically. They have won eight league titles in a row and are also on a run of three successive trebles in a row. Celtic and Rangers have both won nine league titles in a row and Neil Lennon's men will have one eye on matching that record this season.
Nomme Kalju's European Pedigree
Honestly, there isn't any. This is only their second time in the Champions League as they won their second-ever Estonian title last season. In their previous attempt, they were eliminated by Viktoria Plzen 10-2 on aggregate in the qualifying rounds. Their Europa League campaigns haven't been much better with their last three campaigns ending early at the hands of Turkish, Icelandic and Hungarian opponents.
Celtic's European Pedigree
Celtic haven't been great in Europe in recent seasons but they were the first team from Northern Europe to win the European Cup when they lifted the trophy in 1967. In recent seasons they have struggled to reach the Champions League group stages with just two appearances in the last five seasons. Champions League qualification is huge for Celtic as they don't get anything like the television money that is in England so the money for progression in Europe plays a huge role for the Scottish champions.
Nomme Kalju team news
The Estonian's don't seem to have any injury problems and should name a full-strength team. The Estonian league is already underway and after their win in North Macedonia, they made five changes to their lineup for a home draw against Paide last Friday.
Celtic team news
Neil Lennon has a few injury problems to contend with. Kieran Tierney, who is a target for Arsenal, will miss the game with an ongoing hip injury which means new signing, Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo should continue at left-back. Another doubt is Mikey Johnston who scored in the first leg against Sarajevo but missed the second leg to injury.
Second prize
The losers of this tie will drop down into the Europa League and the draw was also made for the next round of that on Monday. Nomme Kalju's old nemesis, Shkendija of North Macedonia or Dudelange of Luxembourg will be the opposition but it looks like it will be Dudelange at present as they won Tuesday's first leg 2-1 away from home.
Third Qualifying Round Draw
The draw for the next round was made on Monday with the winners set to take on the winners of the tie between CFR Cluj of Romania and Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel. The first leg of that tie is in Romania and will start about 45 minutes before kick-off at Celtic Park.
Nomme Kalju's journey so far
Nomme Kalju didn't get it quite so easy in the last round. A 1-0 defeat at home to Shkendija of North Macedonia had them on the verge of elimination but they regathered themselves for the away game. Italian defender, Maximiliano Ugge put them ahead but they looked to be heading out after a second penalty of the tie from Agim Ibraimi drew the sides level. However, there was time for late drama and it went the way of the Estonians as their Brazilian striker, Liliu netted the winner in stoppage time.
Celtic's path to this stage
Celtic's opponents in the last round were Sarajevo of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Hoops fell behind in the away leg but goals from Mikey Johnston, Odsonne Edouard and Scott Sinclair saw them secure a 3-1 win. Further strikes from Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor either side of a goal from the visitors saw Celtic run out 5-2 victors.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL's live coverage of the Champions League Second Qualifying Round 1st Leg clash between Celtic and Nomme Kalju. The game comes to you live from Glasgow and will kick off at 19.45pm local time.
Both teams have safely negotiated one tie in this seasons qualification rounds but there is still a long way to go with the winner of this match still having two more rounds to get through.