FOOTBALL: Linfield or Celtic to face Dundalk or Rosenborg in third qualifying round of Champions League

Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops take on Belfast side Linfield in the first leg of their second-round clash at Windsor Park on Friday night.

The winners of that tie will face whoever comes through the two-legged meeting between Irish side Dundalk or Norwegian outfit Rosenborg.

That tie is currently poised at 1-1 with the second leg to be played in Trondheim on Wednesday.

Celtic beat Astana of Kazakhstan 3-2 on aggregate at the third-round stage last season.

They qualified for the group stage after squeezing past Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel 5-4 on aggregate in the play-off round.

But Celtic went on to finish bottom, without winning a game, in Group C which also included Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach.

The stand-out tie of the round is French side Nice, with former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli in their ranks, taking on four-time winners Ajax of Holland.

The matches take place on July 25/26 and August 1/2.