Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers need to sign a minimum of three new players if they are to progress in this year’s Champions League, according to former Bhoys great John Hartson.

The Europa League second round commences tomorrow evening, with Cork City in Gothenburg for the second time in their 32-year history looking for a vital away goal against BK Hacken, last sea son’s Swedish Cup winners.

The world of football has grown used to Cristiano Ronaldo’s self-absorbed fits of pique but he appears to have met his match after making the mistake of criticising Iceland after the Euro 2016 minnows held out for a fairytale draw against his Portugal side in St Etienne.

Scotland assistant coach Mark McGhee is more encouraged by the fact that his strikers are scoring than fearful of Robert Lewandowski’s stunning form.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit a second-half hat-trick as Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk in last night’s Group A showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Manchester City’s Champions League curse returned to haunt them yesterday after they were drawn with last season’s finalists Juventus and Europa League winners Seville for the group stage of the competition.

Edel McGinley in her letter on migration (Irish Examiner, August 24) completely ignores the broader context and the long-term impact of migration on Europe and its way of life.

Malmo 2 Celtic 0 (Malmo win 4-3 on aggregate): Celtic’s Champions League hopes ended amid some controversy as a 2-0 defeat by Malmo at the Swedbank Stadion put the Swedish side through to the group stages on a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Ronny Deila has described Celtic’s Champions League play-off clash with Malmo tonight as a cup final.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Malmo’s players were unimpressed with Celtic’s attitude after a 3-2 defeat at Parkhead that leaves the Scottish side’s Champions League hopes on a knife-edge.

Celtic’s Champions League hopes are in the balance after a narrow 3-2 win over Malmo in the first leg of their play-off which saw former Hoops attacker Jo Inge Berget return to haunt the Parhead club with a double.

Angel di Maria is sure he will find contentment at Paris St Germain after a woeful and unsettling year at Manchester United.

Holders Manchester City will host Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the Capital One Cup.

Drogheda United manager Mick Cooke reckons his team will need to hit a European level of performance if they are to overcome Sligo Rovers in tomorrow’s 2013 FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium (3.30pm).

Pat Fenlon quit as Hibernian boss after deciding it was the right time to walk away from Easter Road.

Petrolul Ploiesti 2 Swansea 1

Swansea 4 Malmo 0

Swansea new boy Wilfried Bony was delighted after a brace on his competitive debut helped Swansea to a 4-0 Europa League win over Malmo.

St. Patrick’s Athletic came up way short of their own expectations as they bowed tamely out of the Europa League tonight.

Mick Cooke is planning a major upset in the Swedbank Stadium tonight as his Drogheda United side face Malmo in the second leg of their Europa League Cup first qualifying round tie (agg 0-0, 6pm Irish time).

Drogheda United return to the European stage tonight for the first time since 2008 when they host Swedish giants Malmo in Tallaght Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm).

Will you be tuning in to cheer on Ryan Dolan tonight?

Trevor Francis has today been discharged from hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack on Friday.

Shamrock Rovers' chairman Jonathan Roche has said the Tottenham Europa League fixtures were "a dream come true" for the fans.

NORWICH suffered a stunning 4-0 home defeat at the hands of npower League One leaders MK Dons as the three newly-promoted Premier League clubs exited the Carling Cup at the second-round stage last night.

Arsenal were today handed a Champions League play-off draw against Italian side Udinese.

Malmo 1 Rangers 1 (Malmo win 2-1 on aggregate)

STEVEN NAISMITH believes Rangers can now head into the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Malmo with confidence after securing their first win of the season.

Rangers manager Ally McCoist handed Lee Wallace his debut in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie against Malmo at Ibrox.

Republic of Ireland defender Stephen Kelly maintains Fulham must not be happy to just stand still under their new manager – with both Ottmar Hitzfeld and American Bob Bradley now in the frame to take charge at Craven Cottage.

Fulham today signed Norway midfielder Bjorn Helge Riise on a three-year contract.

Middlesbrough have finally completed the signing of Brazilian striker Afonso Alves for an undisclosed club-record fee from Dutch side Heerenveen.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is clinging to the hope that he can return from injury in time for the Merseyside derby at Everton in 12 days’ time.

CORK CITY are under no illusions as to the size of the task still in front of them in their UEFA Cup campaign.

Cork City face a difficult clash against Lithuanian league leaders Ekranes tonight in the UEFA Cup, with star striker Neale Fenn missing.

Neale Fenn is out of Cork City’s UEFA Cup clash with FK Ekranas of Panevezys in Lithuania on Thursday night.

Cork’s City European heroics have been acclaimed by eircom League Chairman Declan O Luanaigh.

AT least two non-League sides are guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the Carlsberg FAI Cup after last night’s draw for the second round at Dublin’s Guinness Store.

John O’Flynn came through last night’s training with Cork CIty and will now definitely be fit to take his place in Cork City’s Intertoto Cup second leg clash with Dutch side NEC Nijmegen tomorrow night.