Ståle: FCK 50/50 for Celtic clash

F.C. Copenhagen manager Ståle Solbakken reckons there is a 50/50 chance of the Lions edging past Celtic in the UEFA Europa League.

FCK take on Celtic in the first leg of their last-32 clash in Telia Parken on Thursday night.

And Ståle is wary that the tie is finely balanced.

"Tomorrow, I still rate our chances against Celtic as 50/50," Ståle said.

"We have shown many times in these type of matches that anything can happen. And with a good result for the return game, everything can happen over there too, because the difference is not so big between the teams.

"In their last nine or 10 games they have handled their defeat to Rangers well and have had a fantastic comeback where they have shown high stability with very few changes from game to game. They have played successfully with 3-5-2 in most of the matches with three 'powerhouses' in defence, a solid midfield and a good team up front.

"Celtic have also been strong and solid in Europe, where they beat Lazio twice, so I give great credit to Neil Lennon after he came back and took over from Brendan Rogers. I followed them especially closely when they had a Norwegian coach a few years ago, but I've also seen their recent seven or eight matches.

"For our own part, we especially had a weak second half in Esbjerg, and we also still have problems with shorter and longer-term injuries, so we have only half our 'regular starters', while Neil Lennon is probably more confident with his line-up.

"We had fantastic training conditions in Portugal, but unfortunately the pitches have not been good since we got home. But that's how life is right now. With all the matches we played in the autumn, the winter break was very welcome and we have previously battled to play European games after Christmas.

"It's always a problem to get up to speed against the teams that play all the time over the winter, but we've always managed to do okay, and I expect that from the team tomorrow, too."