Background: Celtic v Maribor
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Article summary
Celtic FC are looking to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage for the ninth time as they play host to Slovenia's NK Maribor in their play-off decider.
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Celtic FC will be mindful of the fate of their local rivals Rangers FC as they go into their UEFA Champions League play-off decider, the Light Blues having come off worse against the Violets in 2011/12.
Previous meetings
• The first leg in Slovenia finished 1-1, Callum McGregor's early goal for Celtic being swiftly cancelled out by Damjan Bohar.
Form guide
• Maribor have played three previous two-legged ties against Scottish sides, with the record W3 D1 L2 (W2 D0 L1 at home – W1 D1 L1 in Scotland).
• Having lost 6-1 over two legs to the same side in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, Maribor got the better of Celtic's arch-rivals Rangers in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League play-offs. Maribor are on a five-game unbeaten run (W3 D2) against Scottish clubs.
• This is the first time Celtic have been drawn against Slovenian opponents.
• Eliminated in the play-offs in 2012/13 (by GNK Dinamo Zagreb) and 2013/14 (by FC Viktoria Plzeň), Maribor's only previous UEFA Champions League group stage campaign was in 1999/2000; Celtic are veterans of eight group stage campaigns.
• Celtic have won their last two UEFA Champions League play-offs since losing to Arsenal FC in 2009/10; they eliminated Helsingborgs IF in 2012/13 and FC Shakhtar Karagandy last season.
Links and trivia
• Scotland's record in three meetings with Slovenia at senior international level is W1 D2 L0; in UEFA age-group competitions, Scotland's record against Slovenia is W7 D1 L3.
• The colour of Celtic's shirts may provide an extra spur for Maribor; the club's traditional main rivals in Slovenia, NK Olimpija Ljubljana, also wear green.
• Maribor's naturalised Brazilian captain Marcos Tavares recently became one of only six players to reach 300 matches for the club.
