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Celtic lie in wait for Atlético

A place in the round of 32 will be the prize for Club Atlético de Madrid if they can record a second Group I win against Celtic FC as the two meet for a sixth time in European competition.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon
Celtic manager Neil Lennon ©Getty Images

Club Atlético de Madrid will complete their passage to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 if they can record a second Group I win against Celtic FC in the sides' sixth continental meeting.

Previous meetings
• Goals from summer signings Falcao (3) and Diego (68) secured the 2009/10 winners a 2-0 victory when the sides met on matchday one. Atlético remain unbeaten in five games against the Hoops, three wins and two draws.

• Atlético and Celtic met in two previous two-legged UEFA ties, with the Spanish club getting the better of both, eliminating the Bhoys from the 1973/74 European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-finals and the first round of the 1985/86 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

• The teams for their first contest, in which Juan Carlos Lorenzo's Atlético drew 0-0 against Jock Stein's Hoops in Glasgow on 10 April 1974, were:

Celtic: Connaghan, Hay, Brogan, Murray, McNeill, McCluskey, Johnstone, Hood, Deans (Wilson 60), Callaghan, Dalglish.
Atlético: Reina, Melo, Ruben Díaz, Benegas, Ovejero, Eusebio Bejarano, Ramón Heredia, Adelardo Rodríguez, Gárate (Alberto 67), Irureta (Quique Hernández 70), Ayala.

• Ayala (20), Ruben Díaz (56) and substitute Quique Hernández (83) were all sent off for Atlético.

• Luis Aragonés's Atlético won 2-1 against David Hay's Celtic in the teams' last Glasgow meeting on 2 October 1985. Both coaches had played in the sides' previous tie. The lineups were:

Celtic: Bonner, McGrain (McInally 74), Burns, Aitken, McGugan, Grant, Provan, McStay (McAdam 67), Johnston, McLeod, McClair.
Atlético: Fillol, Tomás, Clemente, Arteche, Ruiz, Quique Setién, Cabrera (Rubio 56), Quique Ramos, Da Silva, Landaburu, Marina (Julio Prieto 67).

Match background
• Celtic are unbeaten in their last six home games, which include a 0-0 draw against FC Sion which was later awarded as a 3-0 default victory for the Bhoys. The last team to beat them at Parkhead was Hamburger SV, 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League group stage on 22 October 2009.

• Atlético have won their last four European home games since a shock 3-2 loss to Aris Thessaloniki FC in last season's group stage. Moreover, they have not conceded in their last three continental games in Madrid.

Team facts
• Celtic boss Neil Lennon, capped 40 times by Northern Ireland, was initially a trainee at Manchester City FC and made his name with Leicester City FC before moving to Celtic FC along with his manager - and countryman - Martin O'Neill, and winning five league titles.

• Lennon took on Atlético as a player in his only games in Europe with Leicester in the first round of the 1997/98 UEFA Cup. The English side lost 2-1 in Madrid and then 2-0 back at home.

• Celtic are the only Scottish side to have reached the group stage of a UEFA club competition this season.

• While together at FC Porto, Atlético's Paulo Assunção and Diego faced Celtic's rivals Rangers FC in a 1-1 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Portugal on 23 November 2005.

• Diego featured in a 3-2 win for the Scottish side when the clubs met at Ibrox two months previously.

• Despite scoring for SV Werder Bremen in a 2007/08 UEFA Cup round of 16 tie against Rangers, Diego's side still went out, losing 2-1 on aggregate.

• Atlético midfielder Gabi featured in the Spain Under-21 team that defeated Scotland 3-1 at home in a friendly international on 2 September 2004.

• A coach since his late 20s, Atlético boss Gregorio Manzano's most tangible achievement in football was leading RCD Mallorca to the 2002/03 Spanish Cup. He took over at Atlético for a second time in the summer after a spell at Sevilla FC, who gave him a belated first taste of UEFA competition last season.

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