Markus Rosenberg says ‘anything is possible’ in Malmo fightback against Celtic

The Swedish club last year qualified to the group stages when they recovered from a first-leg defeat. Malmo are again a goal behind in the second leg of the Champions League play-off after losing 3-2 in a feisty encounter in Glasgow last week.

Malmo’s Markus Rosenberg, right, is confident his club can turn around a 3-2 deficit against Celtic on Tuesday night. Andreas Hillergren / Reuters

Malmo captain Markus Rosenberg says his team is under no pressure in their Uefa Champions League play-off clash against Celtic on Tuesday night.

Under Norwegian coach Aage Hareide, the Swedish club last year qualified to the group stages for the first time when they recovered a 2-1 first-leg defeat by Salzburg to win 4-2 on aggregate.

Malmo are again a goal behind in the second leg of the play-off after losing 3-2 in a feisty encounter in Glasgow last week.

Rosenberg attempted to put his club’s task into context.

“We have done it once and we can do it twice,” he said. “But playing for a club in Sweden, there is never pressure to go to the Champions League because it doesn’t happen often.

“Having done it once, in your head, it is easier to do it a second time. There is no pressure but we know what we can do in this stadium and with these fans anything is possible.

“We have learned our lesson from the first game. Celtic will not go as offensively but we will be more offensive.”

Rosenberg claims Ronny Deila’s side are favourites to go through, but suggested the Scottish club will have a fight on their hands.

The former West Bromwich Albion forward said: “They have a lot of good players, they are a good team and they had a good start in Glasgow.

“The rest of the game was equal but I see them as favourites tomorrow, being 3-2 up.

“But Salzburg were favourites and many teams were favourites here and lost, so I am looking forward to the game and hope that we can perform well.”

Hareide tried to play down the importance of advancing.

“It was more important last year, both financially and football wise,” he said.

“We had to do something that we had never done before.

“We did it and I think the boys are more relaxed than last year, but all matches are important at this level and it is very difficult to rate them, this year or last year.

He noted that Malmo already have qualified for the Europa League, if they do not advance and said it “is a place to play and get experience, but we want to be in the finest league, and that is the Champions League”.

Hareide believes the atmosphere inside Malmo’s 24,000-capacity stadium could make all the difference to the outcome.

“We have an extra boost with our fans,” he said. “We have 20,000 here and it is tight and it gives players energy. You feel that the fans are beside you.

“The players from Salzburg, Sparta Prague, Olympiacos and even Atletico Madrid noticed the intensity. That is one of the reasons we did so well in the qualifiers.

“No one has scored against us here. We have a clean sheet in qualifying last year and this year. It will be a tough task but we are confident.”

Tonight’s other matches are led by Ligue 1 side Monaco’s bid to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their tie with Primera Liga outfit Valencia.

Shakhtar Donetsk will enjoy a 1-0 advantage going into the home leg of their match-up with Rapid Vienna, while Basel, who reached the last 16 of last year’s competition, must find the net at least once tonight to have any chance of going through, with Maccabi Tel Aviv having the away-goals advantage after the sides drew 2-2 last week.

Uefa Champions League qualifying second-leg ties

Matches kick off at 10.45pm (UAE); first-leg scores in parentheses

Tuesday

• Monaco (1) v Valencia (3)

• Shakhtar Donetsk (1) v Rapid Vienna (0)

• Maccabi Tel Aviv (2) v Basel (2)

• Zagreb Dinamo (2) v Skenderbeu (1)

• Malmo (2) v Celtic (3)

Wednesday

• Apoel Nicosia (0) v Astana (1)

• Bayer Leverkusen (0) v Lazio (1)

• CSKA Moscow (1) v Sporting (2)

• Partizan (0) v Bate Borisov (1)

• Brugge (1) v Manchester United (3)

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