CELTIC can qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League for a second consecutive season if results go their way on Wednesday.

Both Celtic and Shakhtar sit level on six points in Group D, three points shy of leaders AC Milan but also three clear of bottom-placed SL Benfica, and they go into the match with the possibility of securing their passage to the knockout rounds with a game to spare.

But the game which matters most to everyone at Parkhead remains the one against Aberdeen tomorrow as it could eventually prove to be worth several million pounds more to the current champions.

Wedged between the Champions League games against Shakhtar Donetsk next Wednesday and AC Milan the following Tuesday are SPL games against the Dons and Hearts at Tynecastle.

These stiff tests are vital to Celtic as they attempt to hold on to the three-point advantage they hold at the top of the table.

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