Malmo boss Age Hareide expects to face a stronger Celtic

Malmo manager Age Hareide watched Celtic drop their first league points of the season on Wednesday evening

The manager of Celtic's Champions League play-off opponents did not appear to read too much into Celtic dropping league points at Kilmarnock.

Malmo boss Age Hareide was at Rugby Park to assess compatriot Ronny Deila's team and saw Killie weather the storm to emerge with a point in a 2-2 draw.

"Celtic rested a few players," said the manager of the Allsvenskan outfit.

"I think they have more in hand. I have seen them a lot and I know they are a good side."

Skipper Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig were missing from the Celtic squad in Ayrshire and all will hope to be in the starting line-up against Malmo at Celtic Park on 19 August.

Malmo sit sixth in their league, having won nine and drawn seven of their 19 matches to date.

Hareide congratulated Kilmarnock for the way they fought back to earn their first point of the campaign, and felt he recognised similar traits in their performance to what he has witnessed in Sweden.

"We have the same problem in our league," the Norwegian told BBC Scotland.

"We play teams lower down the league and they always lift themselves when they play against the big boys. When Celtic fire on all cylinders it will be more difficult for us.

"Celtic are better than Kilmarnock but Kilmarnock battled well and got back from 2-1 down."

Looking ahead to the ties against Celtic for a place in the Champions league group stages, Hareide said: "To play at Celtic Park you have to be brave and you have to find the right way of defending and the right way to attack.

"We need a very good away game at Celtic Park to have a chance to go through."