Artak Dashyan skins Jozo Simunovic after the defender dives in wide on Celtic's left and the midfielder's thunderous drive is beaten away by goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

He might have been better finding a team mate as it was a difficult angle.

From the rebound, Dashyan misses the target with Gordon looking exposed.

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

"They're keeping Jefferson, on the left, Nenadovic, up front, and Dashyan, on the right, up high against Celtic's three defenders and it's forcing Tierney to come back into a full-back position. That means the right full-back Artak Yedigaryan can push up further for Alashkert."

Kieran Tierney shows why Everton were willing to pay £25m in a failed attempt to sign the Scotland left-back as he sweeps past Artak Yedigaryan for a third time already in this match.

His cross only just evades the outstretched leg of Moussa Dembele in front of goal.

A cross whipped into the Celtic penalty box finds Uros Nenadovic at the back post, but the Serbian striker is unable to direct his header on goal.

Worrying moment for Celtic though.

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

"With the two up front, Edouard and Dembele, Celtic need to get the ball up to them quicker.

"If they can hold it up, that's a real option for them in this heat, rather than putting the ball back through midfield."

Celtic have the first shot on goal, but Callum McGregor's low drive from just inside the penalty area is straight into the arms of goalkeeper Ognjen Cancarevic after a neat step inside his marker.

Celtic have made a nervous start with a few misplaced passes and Alashkert have them pinned back in their own half.

Scott Brown goes down after a heavy challenge from Danilo Sekulic. Hearts are in mouths because of the Celtic captain's injury worries ahead of kick-off, but the midfielder is able to continue.

Alashkert get the game under way in their normal yellow tops and black shorts.

Celtic are also in their traditional green and white hoops.

The teams are on the pitch and Celtic are in their huddle.

Here we go...

While the heatwave that Scotland has enjoyed will have acclimatized Celtic somewhat, former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner thinks even higher temperatures in Armenia will still be a challenge.

"This is a very tricky and risky tie for them so early in the season, with the distance they have travelled and the heat here," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

Image source, SNS

"It is so difficult in this heat. It was 32C at 8pm last night and it has been over 40C during the day here. It is oppressive.

"They won't be able to press this team because of the heat, so they have got to keep the ball very well."

Image source, SNS

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is wary of Serbian striker Uros Nenadovic in particular.

"They have a striker who is fast and, when they play from deep, his speed makes it difficult for you," he said. "They play very compact."

Tonight's game has been switched from their own 6850-capacity Alashkert Stadium to the Republic Stadium, with the hosts hoping the national ground can be filled to its 15,000 capacity by giving away free tickets.

Image source, SNS

While Celtic arrive in Armenia on the back of two domestic trebles, their hosts go into the game as the dominant force in their homeland having won three Premier League titles in a row.

That achievement is somewhat diminished by there being only six teams in the national top flight - although that is being expanded to 10 ahead of the coming season.

Alashkert, who finished six points ahead of Banants, came close to a double themselves, losing their national cup final to Gandzasar, who finished third in the table, after a penalty shoot-out.

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

"Edouard is a runner. He's a target man, but when he plays in that almost inside-left position, he'll run beyond Dembele.

"But you need the guy who is going to pass that ball forward. McGregor will do it, but I still think they need some quality there, a real top-class player. Hard to get them with the prices and wages, but they're crying out for it.

"At the back, they certainly need somebody, Compper is injured again and that's been a dreadful signing in many ways.

"Tonight, they've only got Tony Ralston on the bench. They're really short when you see Boyata and Lustig missing and, even at that, you'd be looking to get somebody with real experience in to help that back-four.

"They can't just rely on what they have here to take them through all these qualifiers and into the Champions League group stage."

Celtic have certainly impressed more in their pre-season friendlies than their Armenian opponents.

Brendan Rodgers' side slipped to a 1-0 defeat by Bohemians Prague after opening with a single-goal win over Vorwarts Steyr at their Austrian training camp.

But they have since beaten Sparta Prague 1-0 and thumped Shamrock Rovers 7-0.

Alashkert have drawn three games and only hit the net once against sides from the Russian second tier.

They drew 1-1 with Shinnik then drew blanks against Khabarovsk, who have been relegated from the Russian top flight, and Olimpiyets.

Image source, SNS

Alashkert have lost former Croatia Under-21 central defender Dino Skvorc, who came close to signing for Celtic in 2010, to Hungarian club Honved Budapest this summer, but they have added eight players to their squad with one no stranger to contoversy.

The appropriately described "attacking midfielder" Jefferson Reis de Jesus in February battered a ball boy who had excessively celebrated a goal for Comercial against his Operaio side in the third tier of his Brazilian homeland, sparking an on-field mass brawl.

The 22-year-old makes his competitive debut along with two other summer additions.

Serbian defensive midfielder Danilo Sekulic, 28, is on loan from Hungarian club Debrecen, while 27-year-old central defender Oliver Praznovsky comes in after leaving Senica in his native Slovakia's top flight.

Making the bench is 28-year-old Mexican Cesar Romero, who had a prolific spell during his last spell in Armenia but was most recently with Mosta in Malta.

Henri Avagyan has switched from Armenian runners-up Benants and the 27-year-old is back-up goalkeeper.

Brazilian Gustavo Marmentini, a 24-year-old right winger on loan from Atletico Paranaense in his country's top flight, in not involved along with Serbian Goran Antonic, who was last with Elverum as they were relegated from Norway's top tier, and central midfielder Sargis Shahinyan, who was previously in the Bulgarian second tier with Montana.

Alashkert first hit the headlines in Scotland back in 2015, when they knocked St Johnstone out at the first stage of Europa League qualifying - a result still viewed as a major shock in Armenia.

In the Yellows' first-ever European tie, they won 1-0 at home and progressed on away goals despite losing 2-1 and having a man sent off in Perth.

They fell to Kairat of Kazakhstan in the following round but have since won both of their opening-round ties in Champions League qualifying.

However, both of those came against the Andorran minnows of Santa Coloma and they went on to lose their next games against Dinamo Tbilisi of Georgia and BATE Borisov of Belarus.

Image source, SNS

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on BBC Radio Scotland: "We’re only three-and-a-half weeks into our pre-season, so to have a competitive game this early is always strange, but the players couldn’t be in better condition.

"It’s a totally different challenge for us playing in the heat. No matter what system you play, conditions play a part. We have to be mindful of that.

Image source, SNS

"We like to press the game, but you wont be able to do that over 90 minutes.

"Tactically, we have the team set up for educated blocks of pressure, but you need to make sure you’re nice and compact.

"And the key is to look after the ball – if you’re going to have a rest this evening you’re better doing it with the football."

Brendan Rodgers knows all about the dangers of the Champions League early stages, his tenure as Celtic manager starting with an ignominious defeat by part-timers Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar.

But it has been mainly uphill since the Glasgow side overturned that 1-0 loss in the return leg - and Astana and Hapoel Be'er Sheva were less troublesome opponents on the way to qualification for the group stage.

Last season, it was the turn of Linfield, Rosenborg and Astana, again, to fall victim to a Celtic side whose European run was ended by Zenit St Petersburg in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Image source, SNS

In their maiden European tie three years ago, Alashkert beat St Johnstone 1-0 thanks to a goal from Mihran Manasyan.

The 29-year-old came off the bench that night, and tends to be used as an impact player, but has been top scorer three times in the Armenian top flight.

He is one of three survivors from the return leg, which Saints won 2-1 but exited on away goals.

Defensive midfielder Artak Grigoryan started in Perth, while central defender Toran Voskanyan came on as a substitute along with Manasyan.

Image source, Getty Images