Celtic Champions League rival excited to face one of 'the world's best clubs'

Slovan Bratislava coach Boris Kitka insists the Champions League underdogs are relishing the prospect of facing the world's biggest clubs - starting with Celtic.

The Slovakian champions are preparing for a blockbuster opening night at Celtic Park next week as they make their long-awaited debut in Europe's top competition. Slovan Bratislava reached the Champions League proper for the first time after producing a stunning comeback against Danish side FC Midtjylland in last month's play-offs.

Now, they are building momentum ahead of matchday one in Glasgow after thumping AC Nitra 5-0 in the Slovakian Cup earlier this week. Veteran boss Vladimir Weiss missed the game with the flu but his assistant Kitka outlined his expectations for next week's visit to Parkhead.

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He said: "We have an extremely challenging schedule. We are in the Champions League against some of the world's best clubs and we start against Celtic. We have Dunajska Streda this weekend and it is very important we treat our league matches with the same intensity as the Champions League matches.

"I think it is important to be realistic about this. For many of us, it will be our first time at such a high level. The team did a professional job in the Cup because we were dominant from the very first minute and should have scored more goals. Hopefully, it will help our manager's recovery."