Celtic eases into Champions League with favourable draw

Nyon - Scottish giant Celtic will ease into the Champions League in the second qualifying round after being drawn on Monday against either Estonia's Flora Tallinn or Lincoln of Gibraltar.

The first leg, new manager Brendan Rodgers' first competitive fixture in charge, will be played on July 12-13, the week after their opponents are decided following first round action.

Celtic, European champions in 1967, has lost in the final play-off round for the past two seasons.

Former champions Red Star Belgrage of Serbia, European winners in 1991, will face either Maltese side Valletta or B36 Tórshavn of the Faroe Islands.

Danish club FC Copenhagen meet Northern Ireland champions Crusaders, while Norwegian outfit Rosenborg are drawn against Swedish outfit Norrköping.

First round qualifying matches take place on June 28-29 and July 5-6, while the second round action is slated for July 12-13 and July 19-20.

Big guns such as France's AS Monaco, Ajax Amsterdam and Turkish side Fenerbahce, begin their campaigns at the end of July during the third qualifying round.

The Champions League final will take place on June 3, 2017, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Here's a look at the draw:

1st rd (June 28-29; July 5-6):

Flora Tallinn (EST) vs. Lincoln (GIB)

The New Saints FC (WAL) vs. Tre Penne (SMR)

Valletta (MLT) vs. B36 Tórshavn (FAR)

Santa Coloma (AND) vs. Alashkert (ARM)

2nd rd (July 12-13; July 19-20):

Qarabag (AZE) vs. F91 Dudelange (LUX)

Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) vs. Sheriff (MDA)

Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs. Trencín (SVK)

Salzburg (AUT) vs. Liepaja (LVA)

Vardar (MKD) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

The New Saints FC (WAL)/Tre Penne (SMR) vs. APOEL (CYP)

Zrinjski (BIH) vs. Legia Warszawa (POL)

Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Mladost Podgorica (MNE)

Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. Santa Coloma (AND)/Alashkert (ARM)

Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs. Astana (KAZ)

Skënderbeu (ALB) vs. Ferencváros (HUN)

BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. SJK Seinäjoki (FIN)

Valletta (MLT)/B36 Tórshavn (FAR) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)

Rosenborg (NOR) vs. IFK Norrköping (SWE)

Dundalk (IRL) vs. FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL)

Flora Tallinn (EST)/Lincoln (GIB) vs. Celtic Glasgow(SCO)

Crusaders (NIR) vs. FC Copenhagen (DEN)