Julian Finney
The Bhoys should win, and should progress if they pull it off.
Celtic doesn't control their own destiny in the UEFA Champions League, but they're not in a terrible position either. It would be a bit stunning to see Benfica grab all three points against a half-and-half A-B squad when they face Barcelona at the Camp Nou, so the Bhoys will expect to progress if they beat Spartak Moscow at Parkhead.
Spartak have nothing to play for except their pride -- not even their continued starting places. The Russian side has recently sacked manager Unai Emery and has not yet replaced him. They could come out a very motivated side, but it's hard to concoct a situation in which a team would have any less to play for.
Celtic injuries and suspensions
Out: Victor Wanyama, Pat McCourt, James Forrest, Dylan McGeouch.
Spartak Moscow injuries and suspensions
Out: Sergei Pesyakov, Welliton, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Romulo, Solsan Gatagov. In doubt: Sergei Parshivyuk.
In addition to having nothing to play for, Spartak don't have a lot of players. Considering the devastating injury to Romulo earlier in the year and the long-term absence of Welliton, Emery's firing was a bit harsh. Wanyama's absence is the only truly bad blow to Celtic's chances of winning on Wednesday.
Match date/time: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
TV: FOX Sports Net affiliates (U.S.), Sky Sports 3 (U.K.), Sportsnet One (Canada), NTV (Russia)
Online: FOX Soccer 2 Go (U.S.)
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