Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Champions League playoff clash between Celtic and Malmo as both sides look to gain an advantage ahead of next week's second leg in Sweden. These clubs have already come through two qualifying rounds to reach this stage and now find themselves just 180 minutes away from reaching the tournament proper. Let's start with a look at the team news...

CELTIC STARTING XI: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Van Dijk, Izaguirre; Brown, Bitton; Forrest, Johansen, Armstrong; Griffiths

CELTIC SUBS: Bailly, Ambrose, Ciftci, Commons, Mackay-Steven, Rogic, Mulgrew

Just the one change for the hosts, then, as Forrest comes in to replace Mackay-Steven for this evening's game. There wasn't expected to be too many changes from Ronny Deila following their impressive performance in the victory over Inverness last time out, and sure enough the Norwegian boss has barely tinkered with the side. Mackay-Steven drops to the bench for this one, where he sits alongside Kris Commons, who missed the weekend match with a dead leg.

A notable exclusion from the side is summer signing Nadir Ciftci, who continues to serve a domestic suspension but has been Celtic's main striker in Europe so far and is expected to oust Griffiths in the side for league games when he is eligible again too. However, Griffiths scored at the weekend and does provide a genuine goal threat for the hosts, so Deila has chosen to keep faith with him this evening rather than drafting Ciftci back in once again.

Elsewhere for Celtic, Armstrong will look to support Griffiths in attack having notched two goals at the weekend, and that trio of him, Johansen and Forrest could cause Malmo a few problems this evening if they are given space. Further back in midfield, captain Scott Brown continues to patrol the middle of the park alongside Nir Bitton, who has already got on the scoresheet in this season's competition with a goal against Stjarnan.

Defensively Celtic were sound against Qarabag in the last round, keeping clean sheets in both matches on their way to a narrow victory, and it isn't much of a surprise to see Deila stick with the same back five. They also boast a goal threat from defence too, with Lustig grabbing the opening goal of the game at the weekend and Boyata already having scored two Champions League goals this season. Virgil van Dijk in the middle continues to be linked with a move away from the club, but the potential of Champions League group stage football could be enough to entice him to stay.

MALMO STARTING XI: Wiland; Tinnerholm, Àrnason, Bengtsson, Yotún; Rodic, Lewicki, Rakip, Berget; Eikrem, Djurdjic

MALMO SUBS: Andersson, Konate, Vindheim, Carvalho, Molins, Mehmeti, Sana

The name that will immediately jump out from that Malmo starting XI for Celtic fans will be Jo Inge Berget, who spent time with the Bhoys last autumn on loan from Cardiff. It wasn't the most successful or memorable of loan stints, it must be said, but he still managed two goals in four league games. No doubt he has been questioned over Celtic's strengths and style of play by those in charge of tonight's gameplan for Malmo.

Celtic fans will also recognise the name of Kari Arnason, who plied his trade with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership between 2011-12. He is charged with keeping Griffiths and co at bay tonight, alongside the likes of Tinnerholm, who is another defender to have got his name on the scoresheet already in this competition. He got the decisive goal against Zalgiris in the second qualifying round.

There are a couple of notable absentees for the visitors, however, none more so than former West Bromwich Albion striker Markus Rosenberg. The veteran striker, who is also Malmo's captain, misses out this evening through suspension, which is also what keeps Enoch Kofi Adu on the sidelines tonight. He picked up a red card in the last round and so misses out on the trip to Glasgow.

With Rosenberg out, perhaps the biggest threat to the Celtic goal will come from his usual strike partner Djurdic. However, they also have goals amongst their midfielders too, not least Rodic, who netted in both their victory over Salzburg in their last Champions League outing and also their weekend victory over Gefle, when Rosenberg was also on the scoresheet. The visitors certainly have the tools to hurt Celtic this evening.

It is hard to pick a clear favourite for this tie, with neither side being entirely convincing on their way to this stage. For Celtic, Malmo certainly represent their biggest challenge thus far having already overcome Stjarnan from Iceland and Qarabag from Azerbaijan. The Bhoys were expected to come through both of those tests and, although they managed that, their performances at times were questionable against some of the minnows of European football.

The victory over Stjarnan, on paper at least, looks like a commanding one, running out 6-1 victors on aggregate. However, there was a scare for them in that tie. Having battled to a 2-0 home victory, it was Stjarnan who scored first in the return leg to raise questions of a comeback. Celtic responded well to take the lead, however, and two late goals made the result look a little more comfortable than it actually was. As for the Qarabag tie, that was a very tight encounter which was decided by a late Boyata goal in the first leg. Neither side could find the net in Azerbaijan, allowing Celtic to see out the 1-0 aggregate triumph.

As mentioned, Malmo is likely to be another step up from those two sides, and should they make it past the Swedes then they can expect some much sterner tests in the group stages themselves. Celtic have pulled off some good performances in the Champions League in recent years, with the likes of Barcelona struggling to overcome the Scottish champions, but they were absent from the tournament proper last season having been eliminated at this stage by Maribor. They were fortunate to have even reached this stage in truth, having been awarded a victory over Legia Warsaw due to a controversial technicality after they had lost the tie itself.

Domestically, Celtic are once again expected to dominate in the Scottish Premiership this year, although they could find their stranglehold on the title loosened somewhat if they miss out on the £20m prize that comes with qualifying for the groups. They have started the season in decent form, with three wins and a draw from their opening four games, but they currently sit two points off the early pacesetters Hearts, who have begun the campaign with a 100% record.

One concern from the opening few matches of the season from Deila's point of view will be their defensive record. They have conceded two goals in each of their last two games, and while four conceded from four matches is by no means cause for alarm bells to start ringing, a team of Celtic stature compared to the rest in Scotland would expect to be letting in fewer than a goal per game. There aren't any problems at the other end of the pitch, though, with the Bhoys having scored 10 in their opening four games despite the absence of Ciftci.

They come into tonight's match off the back of what Ronny Deila described as their best performance for some time at the weekend, cruising past Inverness 4-2. In truth, it could have been even better for Celtic, but they took their foot off the pedal somewhat having netted their fourth of the game with 20 minutes remaining. Inverness quickly pulled one back and added a second a few minutes later, but Celtic were never going to squander a four-goal lead and saw out a comfortable victory in the end.

If they are to emerge victorious from this tie then they are likely to need a good result in front of their own fans. Champions League nights are often special occasions inside Celtic Park, and the Bhoys have won both of their European outings here this season without conceding a goal. Indeed, they have a 100% record in front of their own fans in the 2015-16 campaign and, stretching back to last season, having now won 10 on the bounce at home in all competitions. Their last defeat in their own back yard came way back in March.

As for Malmo, they will know that they stand a very good chance of making the Champions League group stages should they stay in the tie this evening and perhaps nick an away goal in the process. The Swedish outfit reached the group phase of this competition for the first time in their history last season and, while their campaign comprised of five defeats and a solitary victory from their six games, they will be desperate for another taste of the big time. They were never likely to progress from their group last season having been draw alongside Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos, but a kinder draw this time around could get the supporters dreaming.

While their recent pedigree in this competition may be nothing special, Malmo do have history in the tournament. They reached the final of the European Cup back in 1979 - a major achievement for a club of their size. They came up against another perhaps overachieving team in the shape of Nottingham Forest, however, and Brian Clough's side claimed the first of two consecutive European Cup titles at the expense of the Swedes.

As mentioned, recent history has not been quite as impressive, but they have been the dominant force in Swedish football over the past couple of seasons. They have won the title for the past two years and, although they currently sit fifth in this season's Allsvenskan, they are right in the mix again. It is a very tight title battle, with Malmo sitting just four points adrift of leaders IFK Goteborg and only five points separating the top six teams in the league.

The Swedish league runs from April to November, meaning that just 10 games remain domestically for Malmo this season. It will be interesting to see whether that makes them sharper than Celtic - who have played just four league games so far - or more jaded having already made it two thirds of the way through their campaign. They certainly enter the game in decent form having won their last three games in all competitions, including one against top of the league, and having lost just once in their last 11.

That solitary defeat came at the hands of Salzburg in the first leg of the third qualifying round, and it looked like Malmo would be on their way out of the competition at the halfway stage of that tie. They lost 2-0 in Austria, but produced a sterling second-leg display and found themselves ahead on aggregate by half time of their match in Sweden. Djurdic, Rosenberg and Rodic all scored in the opening 45 minutes and, while Adu was sent off after the break, they still managed to hold on for a 3-2 aggregate victory. They weren't too convincing in their first Champions League tie of the campaign either, only managing a slender 1-0 aggregate win over Lithuanian side Zalgiris.

One major concern for tonight in particular will be Malmo's away record in the Champions League in recent years. They have lost seven of their last eight games on the road in this competition, with that 1-0 win in Lithuania the only exception. They conceded 11 goals on their way to three defeats out of three in the group stages last season, although it should also be noted that they have won in Glasgow fairly recently, beating Rangers 1-0 in a qualifier in 2011.

The big challenge for them today will be to get an all-important away goal, which would give them a big advantage going into the second leg providing they can also keep things tight at the back. Even if they were to lose by the odd goal, that would go down as a relatively good result considering their away record, Celtic's home record and the opportunity to play the second leg in Sweden.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Celtic Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! I'm expecting this to be quite a tight game between two sides who should be relatively evenly matched. Celtic's home advantage may well prove to be the difference, but I certainly don't see Malmo being out of the tie at the end of this 90 minutes. It's a fairly tough one to call, but I'm going to go for a 1-0 home victory.

Celtic boast a formidable record against Swedish sides over the years, going unbeaten in their four previous meetings and winning three of those. Indeed, they have not even conceded in any of those matches, while their two home games have both resulted in victories. Interestingly, that includes a 2-0 win over Helsingborg in the 2012-13 Champions League playoffs, when current Malmo boss Age Hareide was in charge of the visitors. Djurdic was also a Helsingborg player then, so those two could have revenge on their minds this evening.

Malmo's record on Scottish soil is even better, though. They too have won on both of their visits to this country, including that aforementioned 1-0 victory over Rangers in Glasgow. Their most recent visit was particularly memorable as they hammered Hibernian 7-0 in Edinburgh during the second qualifying round of the 2013-14 Europa League. That means that on two trips to Scotland, Malmo have scored eight goals and conceded none. Home and away, they are also unbeaten in four.

This is the first meeting between these two sides, but there are some links between them. Current Celtic boss Ronny Deila revealed that he was in talks with Malmo over becoming their head coach just last year, when he was in charge of Stromsgodset, but they instead gave the job to his compatriot Age Hareide, and Deila of course moved to Celtic Park.

The players are out, the Champions League music is played, and the hands have been shaken. We're just minutes away from kickoff here at Celtic Park for what is a huge first-leg tie for both of these sides. Aside from the allure of playing in the Champions League proper this season, the financial boost for both clubs would be monumental.

KICKOFF: The hosts get us underway at a raucous Celtic Park as they look to put one foot into the group stages by taking a commanding lead to Sweden next week.

Bright start from Celtic as they win an early corner, which causes problems inside the Malmo box. The hosts aren't able to get a shot away, however, and their attack is ended when the offside flag is raised.

What a start for Celtic! They break the deadlock inside three minutes with a brilliantly-worked goal. They begin the attack down the left before the ball is cut back to Johansen, who plays a beauty of a first-time through-ball to Griffiths. The striker finds himself in space inside the box, and his first touch allows him to just slot the ball past the onrushing keeper. Cool finish, but that was all about Johansen's pass.

Deila could not have wished for a better start to this match. His side have an early goal, which is always crucial in matches like this, if only to keep the fans in good voice. They have begun the game really brightly and look capable of getting a second sooner rather than later here.

Better from Malmo as they enjoy a prolonged spell of pressure for the first time in the match. They keep the ball deep inside the Celtic half, but the hosts comfortable deal with the pressure and eventually force a goal kick.

This has been a good response from the visitors, it must be said. Celtic are still on top and look most likely to get the game's second goal right now, but Malmo have more of a foothold than they did in the opening few minutes.

Celtic's start just gets better and better as they double their lead! This one comes from a corner, and the keeper must be questioned. The ball was swung in towards the six-yard box, and the defenders would be expecting Wiland to come and claim it. However, he can't get Griffiths out of the way, which allows Bitton to attack it really well and plant a header home from close range.

CHANCE! It could, and perhaps by three here! Some beautiful football from the hosts eventually sees Griffiths slide the ball to Johansen, but his low strike towards the bottom corner is saved by the leg of Wiland. Good stop, but Celtic are running riot here.

If Malmo aren't careful here then they could be out of this tie by half time in the first leg. The visitors just haven't got going so far and they are failing to match Celtic's intensity all over the field. The hosts are more up for this than their opponents, and a third goal may not be far away.

The game isn't quite beyond Malmo here, but they need to quickly improve. They haven't threatened Gordon's goal whatsoever so far, whereas Celtic look like scoring every time they come forward.

CLOSE! Another sight of goal for the hosts, and again it is Griffiths who threatens. This time he cuts inside onto his left, but his finish is dragged into the side-netting.

Malmo get behind the Celtic defence for the first time tonight, with Izaguirre diving in and missing his attempted interception to allow Tinnerholm through. The Malmo full-back makes it to the byline before cutting a pass into the box, but Boyata makes an important interception to clear the danger.

More good pressure from Celtic, who are smelling blood right now. You just wonder how much Hareide's pre-match comments that Salzburg are a better team than Celtic has inspired the hosts here.

SAVE! Gordon is tested for the first time tonight, and it is a smart save from the keeper. Yotun bent the ball behind the defence towards Djurdic, but Boyata is there to make an interception. His touch puts the ball into the path of Rodic, however, and his low strike is turned away by the Celtic keeper.

Celtic have just got a little sloppy at times in the last few minutes, but they are still controlling the midfield area, which is where their dominance so far is stemming from. Something needs to change in the middle of the park for Malmo as they're outnumbered there at the moment.

Again the hosts get in behind the defence as Lustig makes an overlapping run and is found by a through-ball inside the Malmo full-back. Lustig slides in to send a low ball across the area, but it is too far in front of any green and white shirts.

Djurdic hasn't had much joy up front so far, so it is perhaps understandable that he looks to shoot as soon as getting the ball here. He may think twice next time, however, as he slices a dreadful effort well wide.

Chance for Malmo to get in behind as Celtic are again a little sloppy, gifting the ball straight to Eikrem. He immediately looks to slide the ball through to Djurdic, who has found space, but there is too much on the pass and Izaguirre is able to come across and make the interception.

Malmo win a free kick in a good crossing position, and Eikrem's delivery is aimed towards the far post, where Lewicki has just peeled off the shoulder of Brown. However, his attempted header back into the danger zone is poor and loops harmlessly onto the roof of the net.

Celtic have lost a fraction of the control they had over this game over the past five minutes or so. Malmo have improved, but the hosts have also taken their foot off the pedal a little. A third goal could kill this tie off as a contest, and Malmo looked like they were there for the taking earlier on in this game.

Comfortable one for Gordon as Berget cuts inside from the left flank before seeing his deflected effort loop tamely into the arms of the keeper. The visitors are certainly carrying more of a threat now, though.

SHOT! Once again, Malmo have the chance to shoot as this time Rodic cuts inside from the right without being properly tracked. His long-range effort floats comfortable over, though.

CLOSE! Down the other end, Celtic come close to a third through a fine piece of play from Armstrong. He is allowed to cut inside by Tinnerholm and unleashes a powerful, curling effort towards the far top corner, only to see his strike flash narrowly wide.

They may have got a little sloppy since the opening 15 minutes or so, but this has still been a very good half for Celtic. This is their toughest challenge yet, but so far they have passed it with flying colours.

A good spell of pressure from Celtic almost sees Brown steal in to latch on to a pass from Armstrong, who again caused problems cutting in from the left. The keeper beats the Celtic skipper to the ball, though, while moments later Forrest concedes a free kick when trying to turn the ball home from inside the box.

Poor from Bitton, who carelessly gives the ball away twice in quick succession. Rakip looks to take advantage by driving forward towards the edge of the box, but his attempted through-ball is cut out and the danger is cleared.

A couple of really important pieces of defending from Van Dijk here, who first clears a dangerous corner before getting a touch to a whipped Yotun delivery from the left. The Malmo attack eventually comes to an end when Rakip rushes his effort from the edge of the box, blazing it over the top.

There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

So far so good for Celtic, then, as they go into the break in complete control over Malmo courtesy of a couple of early first-half goals. Their dominance waned a little as the half wore on, but the damage was done in the opening 10 minutes and Malmo have a job on their hands to salvage this one in the coming 45 minutes. Ronny Deila, on the other hand, will be delighted with how things have gone so far.

The match was just three minutes old when Celtic took the lead, and it was a well-taken goal as well as Griffiths continued his good scoring start to the season. Johansen was the creator with a brilliant first-time through-ball in to the striker, who found himself with time and space inside the box, and only the keeper to beat. His first touch brought the ball under immediate control before he swept his finish into the bottom corner.

The second goal came in the 10th minute, and this time the keeper could have done more to prevent it. However, he was trapped behind Griffiths in the area and failed to get the Celtic striker out of the way in time to collect a corner that was delivered in to his six-yard box. Bitton attacked the corner really well, and it was a simple finish in the end as he nodded home from close range.

It could have been even better for Celtic, who came close to a third just two minutes after doubling their lead. This time Griffiths was the creator, ending a slick team move by sliding a pass in to Johansen. However, his low effort was well saved by Wiland in the Malmo goal, with the keeper sticking out a leg to deny the midfielder.

Griffiths and Armstrong have also come close to adding to Celtic's lead, but they took their foot off the pedal after the opening 15 minutes or so. There was only one team in it in that opening quarter of an hour, but Malmo worked their way back into the game. The Swedes looked there for the taking the opening exchanges and Celtic may live to regret not getting that third goal - particularly as Malmo overcame a two-goal first-leg deficit in the last round - but there is no doubt that the hosts have the advantage at this stage.

Malmo have barely threatened the Celtic goal so far, with Gordon's only piece of action seeing him make a relatively comfortable save to deny Rodic from range. The winger has looked most likely for the visitors when cutting inside from the flank, but clear chances have been very hard to come by for the Swedish side so far.

KICKOFF: Malmo get us back underway for this second half as they look to haul themselves back into this tie with what would be a valuable away goal.

Good chance for Celtic to break forward as they win the ball back inside the Malmo half before immediately pouncing on the mistake. Forrest picks the ball up and tries to cut inside, but gets blocked off and stays down. Brown picks the ball up and moves into the area, but when he cuts back Forrest is still down when his skipper needs support. Eventually the hosts win a free kick, while Yotun has a minor scuffle with both Brown and Lustig.

Both Yotun and Lustig are perhaps a little fortunate to get away without punishment for that little altercation. Lustig gave the Malmo defender a 'friendly' slap around the chops, and Yotun responded by pushing the Swede in the face. The referee is right to not take any action, but by the letter of the law both players could have been walking a tightrope there.

Huge moment in this tie as Malmo get an away goal to take back to Sweden! It is some strike from Berget against his former club too. A cross arrives from the right flank after Bitton's tackle took the ball into the path of Eikrem, who whips a cross all the way to Berget at the back post. He chests the ball down before rifling a superb volley into the far corner past a helpless Craig Gordon.

The third goal was always going to be huge in this tie, and the fact that it has gone to Malmo makes things very interesting. They would be content with today's match ending like this, you would feel, while Celtic will be kicking themselves for not pressing forward more when two up.

SAVE! Malmo threaten a quick equaliser too, with Djurdic finding space around 20 yards from goal to turn and have a crack. It is a decent effort, but Gordon makes the dicing stop to his right, while the rebound arrives too quickly to Berget for him to turn it home.

This is developing into a really open game now, which is dangerous for both teams involved. They may both take this scoreline if offered the final whistle right now, but a goal either way would swing the tie firmly in the favour of whoever were to get it.

This has certainly been a better second-half display from Malmo. They were second to every ball in the opening 15 minutes, but now they seem like they want it more than the hosts, who are looking increasingly nervous on the ball and in defence. This one is very finely poised.

Celtic have their two-goal lead back, and it is a shocking defensive error that hands them it. A cross arrived from the right flank that Tinnerholm really should have dealt with, but he only succeeds in heading the ball straight up in the air. He is underneath it looking to complete the clearance, but Griffiths rises above him and loops a header over the keeper and in off the post. It just creeps over the line before it can be cleared, and suddenly Celtic are back in control of the tie.

CELTIC SUB: The hosts made a change in the immediate aftermath of that goal, with Gary Mackay-Steven replacing Armstrong.

A worry here for the hosts as Griffiths goes down without an opposition player near him. It looks like an ankle problem for the two-goal striker, but after a bit of treatment he looks like he should be fine to continue.

YELLOW CARD! Tinnerholm's night goes from bad to worse as he becomes the first name in the book for blocking off Forrest.

There is still a brilliant atmosphere inside Celtic Park, and the hosts are looking settled once again after that third goal. Malmo looked to have them worried for a spell at the start of this second half, but now Celtic are back in control of this one.

MALMO SUB: A first change for Malmo as Felipe Carvalho replaces Eikrem for the final 20 minutes or so.

CELTIC SUB: The hosts respond with a change of their own, and there will be no hat-trick for Griffiths tonight as he is replaced by Nadir Ciftci.

YELLOW CARDS! The referee produces a yellow card for both Rakip and Brown, the latter of whom is indignant and being put into the notebook. It was a relatively minor coming-together, so that is a harsh decision from the ref.

Scrappy period of the match here as it is disrupted by a number of fouls in quick succession. The latest sees Van Dijk clash heads with Djurdic, but both players should be fine to continue.

Concern over Lustig here. The left-back went for an overlapping run down the right but pulled up with no-one around him and immediately called for the ball to be kicked out. This looks like a painful one for Lustig, who looks distraught having suffered a string of injury problems in recent seasons.

CELTIC SUB: This one looks like a bad hamstring strain for Lustig, who can't even walk around the perimeter of the field and will need the stretcher. On comes Efe Ambrose in his place.

MALMO SUB: A second change for the visitors as Rakip is replaced by Tobias Sana.

SHOT! An increasingly rare sight of goal for the visitors as the ball breaks to Djurdic, who immediately spins to face goal. However, he snatches as his shot and slices it wide of the near post when a little more patience could have seen him test Gordon in the Celtic goal.

Just four minutes remain in this first leg now, and as things stand it is Celtic who have the advantage going into the second leg. Malmo are better at home, however, so they will certainly feel that they are still in the tie if it stays the same here.

Another Celtic player goes down off the ball, this time Bitton calling for attention from the bench. This will be a big worry for Deila, who has already made all three subs.

Bitton will battle on here. It was a very innocuous one, with no opposition player around him when he sustained what looks like a knee injury. It doesn't look serious, though, and it looks as though he will see the game out after all.

There will be a minimum of five minutes added time at the end of this match - still time for Malmo to grab a second away goal?

YELLOW CARD! Ciftci becomes the latest player to go into the book for a clumsy challenge on Rodic.

Celtic look like they are going to see out this victory here, with Malmo not really putting the hosts under any sustained late pressure. They have just two more minutes to hold out.

YELLOW CARDS! Childish play from both Yotun and Johansen as a second ball arrives on the field and both players battle to kick it off, with the Celtic man preventing Yotun from doing so.

My word, how big could that goal be in terms of the tie?! Berget gets a second away goal against his former club with virtually the last kick of the match. Celtic failed to deal with a corner into the box and the ball bounced to Berget, who took a touch before lashing it into the roof of the net from close range.

What a dramatic end to the match, and the tie is very much hanging in the balance at the halfway stage now. Celtic looked set to see out a 3-1 lead to take to Sweden next week, but Berget's strike right at the death has given Malmo a huge chance in the second leg now. The Swedish side may have lost on the night, but many will make them favourites to progress now courtesy of those two away goals.

Celtic made a perfect start to the match, racing into a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes courtesy of goals from Leigh Griffiths and Nir Bitton. Berget pulled one back for Malmo early in the second half, but Griffiths got his second of the night shortly after the hour to restore the hosts' two-goal lead. However, that late, late strike from Berget has changed everything and will make for a very interesting return leg in six days' time.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for a thoroughly entertaining Champions League playoff clash as Celtic emerge victorious against Malmo, but give up two away goals in the process. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. Our coverage of the second leg takes place next Tuesday and, if it is anything like tonight's game, you will not want to miss it! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!