Arne Engels starts as Celtic name team for Champions League opener

Arne Engels makes his European debut for Celtic as the team open their Champions League campaign against Slovan Bratislava.

The Slovakians have travelled to Glasgow for Celtic’s first game of the new-look competition and Brendan Rodgers’ side are aiming to start with a win.

The Scottish champions have begun their title defence with five straight wins and no goals conceded and manager Rodgers says he’s never felt as ready for a European campaign with the club.

He’s opted to start record signing Engels in a strong side that looks set to take the game to Slovan Bratislava.

Kasper Schmeichel starts in goal behind a back four of Greg Taylor, Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston.

Captain Callum McGregor is in a midfield trio alongside Reo Hatate and Engels.

Daizen Maeda and Nicholas Kuhn are in the wide positions, either side of striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

🔢 Our Champions League Matchday One line-up! #CelticSlovan | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/WYUvXwYqof
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 18, 2024

The revamped Champions League now has 36 teams playing in a single league, with each side playing eight games against eight different opponents, with four away games and four at home.

The top eight sides in the overall table qualify automatically for the round of 16.

Teams between ninth and 24th place go through to a play-off round, with the winners progressing to the last 16. The draw for the play-off round is seeded, with teams placed ninth to 16th drawn to play a team that finished 17th to 24th.

Teams who finish the league phase in 25th place or lower are eliminated from all European competition.

After facing Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, Celtic go on to face Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta away, then host RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.

The team then go on to play GNK Dinamo in Zagreb before hosting Young Boys of Berne, and finish the league phase with a trip to play Aston Villa.