Here come Celtic with Tom Rogic finding room for a shot at the edge of the box. However, the big Australian loosing his footing at a vital moment and it's a simple save.

Chris McLaughlin
BBC Sport Scotland in Athens

Celtic just can’t settle as AEK continue to dominate. The visitors look nervous and lacking a little in self belief.

Viktor Klonaridis, who scored in last week's first leg, is suddenly breaking clear of the Celtic defence and his effort on the slide zips narrowly wide.

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

Nice work down the left from Callum McGregor, who sets up Olivier Ntcham for a shot from distance. But a defender in black and gold is out quickly to block.

AEK string a few slick passes together and the move ends with full-back Bakakis nodding well wide from near the penalty spot.

Here we go... A quick huddle from both sides, the obligatory smoke bombs going off, and the visitors get us started.

Alluding to recent off-field stories, Brendan Rodgers adds: "In modern football now, there's such an overload of opinion and an overload of information and what you always have to try and do as a coach and a manager is just really focus on what your job is.

"My job is to prepare the team, get them ready for the games and that's all I've tried to do since I came into Celtic.

"There's a lot of questions going on around a number of issues, which happens at this stage of the season. For me, what's important is our squad of players. Collectively, our spirit's very strong.

"We've always collectively won a game, lost a game, drew a game and that's no different."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers talking to BBC Radio Scotland: "Very much in the balance. We played well in the first leg. Of course there's a little bit of negativity around because we only drew the game but we can still come here and get a result. It's a great opportunity.

"Odsonne Edouard picked up a knock and unfortunately hasn't recovered from that. It's a real shame because he's been brilliant for us.

"We've got Moussa Dembele back on the bench again and obviously Leigh Griffiths is a guy that can score a goal out of nothing. With those two, we always think we have an opportunity.

"It's looking after the details tonight. If we can do that and bring our game then we know we've got very good players that can really play well at this level and we know how to get through."

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No Scottish side has ever beaten AEK Athens in Greece and no Scottish side has ever progressed from a tie with tonight's hosts.

Rangers, Hibs and Hearts have all been beaten in the Greek capital, while Dundee United got a draw on a bizarre night with no home fans present - but only after losing at Tannadice in 2010.

Hibs took AEK to extra time on a memorable evening at Easter Road in 2001 but a 3-2 win after 120 minutes was not enough.

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Chris McLaughlin
BBC Sport Scotland in Athens

"It’s hot, it’s noisy and it’s a massive night for Celtic here in Athens. The Olympic Stadium is only half full but those inside, including the 700 travelling fans, are making themselves heard.

"The build-up to this match has been dominated by on and off-field negativity. That would all be blown away if Brendan Rodgers’ side can get the victory they so desperately crave.

"They usually find the answers when the tough questions come, will that continue in the Greek capital tonight?"

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Things were looking bright for Celtic last week when Callum McGregor smashed in a 17th-minute opener in the first leg. Wave after wave of attacks followed but a second goal would not come and then we had the sucker-punch; an equaliser from Viktor Klonaridis on the stroke of half time.

A red card for Konstantinis Galanopoulos renewed Celtic hopes but AEK Athens dropped deeper and held out quite comfortably as the home side ran out of ideas.

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Former Celtic star John Collins was a guest on BBC Radio 5 live earlier today, explaining the difficulties the Scottish champions face when looking for new recruits.

"They rested key players for tonight because it means so much," he said.

"You can afford to lose points in the league and catch up, but you can't afford to lose tonight's game or it's all over for the season.

"The big moan up here among Celtic fans is that they haven't invested enough and signed enough players in the summer.

"I know Brendan's been interested in a few, but it's not as easy getting players in because they don't have huge transfer funds and don't have the huge television money like the English clubs.

"So when they go looking for players, the price is up. A few years ago, you could get the Dedryck Boyatas for £1.5m, but that's not the case now.

"I think when they are going for players, they are being asked for more money because the clubs selling to Celtic know they are making big money when they sell them on."

Celtic made five changes for Saturday's visit to Tynecastle and lost out to a Kyle Lafferty volley.

The defeat brought further media scrutiny of the champions' lack of activity in the transfer market, a question manager Brendan Rodgers is growing increasingly weary of answering.

Key players return this evening but will there be new faces for the fans to get excited about before the end of the month?

The promise of Champions League football and prize money will make the recruitment process easier.

The winners of this tie go on to the play-off round to face either Malmo of Sweden or MOL Vidi FC of Hungary. That tie is also poised at 1-1, with Vidi at home this evening.

The losers drop into the same stage of Europa League qualification against Latvian champions Spartaks Jurmala or Suduva of Lithuania.

Suduva take a 1-0 lead into their home leg on Thursday.

AEK fell to CSKA Moscow at this stage of the competition last year - dropping into the Europa League and finishing unbeaten in their group before going out on away goals to Dynamo Kiev in the last-32.

That's where Celtic's run ended, losing to Zenit St Petersburg after a third place finish in their Champions League group.

Celtic are looking to make it to the group stage for the third year running, while AEK have not been involved at that level since 2006-07 when they eased past Hearts in their sole qualifier.

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Leigh Griffiths also stressed the importance of Champions League football to Celtic at Monday's media conference.

"It sets the standard for the season," said the striker. "The last two seasons we've qualified and done well. "We're under no illusion, it's always difficult at the start of the season but we've shown over the last couple of years that we can qualify under that pressure.

"You could say they have the advantage, especially with the away goal but we, as a team, are more than capable of scoring an away goal ourselves."

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And what of the missing Dedryck Boyata?

The defender's agent has been stirring things up with his comments suggesting the player was unhappy that a potential move to Fulham had been blocked and further remarks hinting at a refusal to play.

The Belgium international was today moved to post a social media message saying he is "not yet 100% operational".

"It's more sad than a distraction," said manager Brendan Rodgers yesterday. "He's a player that we would have loved to have been here with us."

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AEK Athens: Barkas, Bakakis, Oikonomou, Lampropoulos, Hult, Rodrigo Galo, Alef, Andre Simoes, Bakasetas, Klonaridis, Livaja.

Substitutes: Tsintotas, Albanis, Giakoumakis, Cosic, Mantalos, Ponce, Moran.

Celtic: Gordon; Lustig, Hendry, Simunovic, Tierney; Brown, Ntcham; McGregor, Forrest, Rogic; Griffiths.

Substitutes: Bain, Dembele, Hayes, Kouassi, Sinclair, Gamboa, Johnston.

Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (Russia)