Celtic fans will have to wait until this Saturday to find out if the Hoops will be seeded in the Champions League Play-Off round. Right now, the Hoops are unseeded, which means they could face a tougher draw. But that could change depending on who wins the Croatian league.
Dinamo Zagreb, a regular in Europe, are looking to win the Croatian league again. On Saturday, they drew 1-1 in the Zagreb derby against Lokomotiv. That gave Rijeka a chance to go top, but they lost 2-1 to Hajduk Split. Now, both teams are tied on points going into the final match of the season.
Celtic’s Callum McGregor in action with GNK Dinamo Zagreb’s Dario Spikic REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
Rijeka are in the stronger position. If both teams win or draw their final games, Rijeka will be champions because they have the better record in games between the two this season. Rijeka will be at home to Slaven Koprivnica, while Dinamo face Varazdin at home.
🚨 🏴 Celtic are ON THE BRINK of moving to the seeded side of the Champions League Play-offs!
📈 🇭🇷 Rijeka are just ONE WIN away from winning the title in Croatia, which would move Celtic to seeded side!
📢 👉 Check our Page (☝️ up in bio) for qualifying % chances and details… pic.twitter.com/UztNVbRJLM
— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) May 17, 2025
If Rijeka do win the title, Dinamo Zagreb won’t be in the Champions League draw. That helps Celtic, as it would move them into the seeded group for the Play-Off round.
Hajduk Split are currently third on 60 points, two points behind Zagreb. If Split win the league title, that would be enough for Celtic to be seeded. Another possible scenario is if Dinamo Zagreb win the title but are eliminated in the second qualifying round of the Champions League — that outcome would also see Celtic seeded.
Celtic’s Alistair Johnston in action with GNK Dinamo Zagreb’s Marko Rog REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
Being seeded matters. If Celtic are seeded, they avoid tough opponents like Bodo Glimt, Copenhagen, Ferencvaros, and Red Star Belgrade. Instead, they’d be drawn against an easier team, with Slovan Bratislava likely the strongest option in the unseeded group.
The draw takes place on August 5. The Play-Off ties will be played on August 19/20 and 26/27. Until then, all eyes will be on the Croatian title race this Saturday.
