Reaction: Celtic out of Champions League after AEK defeat

1. Galo puts Greeks in front; Livaja adds second
2. Sinclair header gave Celtic hope
3. Celtic now face Spartaks Jurmala or Suduva in Europa League
4. AEK will play MOL Vidi of Hungary in Champions League
5. Get involved #bbcsportscot

Rangers & Hibs up next

We'll be back with more European action on Thursday. Can Rangers and Hibernian join Celtic in the final round of Europa League qualifying?

Rangers take a healthy 3-1 lead to Slovenia but Maribor have been a real thorn in the side of Scottish sides over the years. Hibs go to Molde in Norway looking for an away goal or two after a goalless draw at Easter Road last week.

We'll have those games covered, so join us if you can.

Good night.

The challenge for Brendan Rodgers is to lift his squad and make sure they get into the Europa League group phase.

Next up is the more prosaic business of a League Cup visit to Firhill on Saturday lunchtime.

'You shouldn’t have to lose to learn'

Asked about the missing Dedryck Boyata, Brendan Rodgers adds...

"I feel for the players who are here. They are the ones who wanted to be here and they’ve earned the right to be here. This is a level where we need all the help we can get. We need as many players fit and available as we can get. You shouldn’t have to lose to learn but we just have to learn from that.

"I don’t want to make excuses. I’ve said what I wanted to say about making improvements. I’ve always said we needed to strengthen and hopefully we can do that now. It’s important that we have European football this year."

SNS

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the visiting fans in Athens

You can't defend that softly - Rodgers

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers talking to BT Sport.

"We’ve got to stop the cross for the first and the second is poor defending. We gave ourselves a chance and threw everything at it. I thought a lot of our build-up play was worth something from the game but you can’t defend that softly. I still felt this was a game in which we had more than enough to win but you have to defend better than we did. We gave AEK a lot of problems but you have to defend properly and we didn’t do that."

AEK 'a bog standard team'

AEK Athens will now take on Vidi FC in the Champions League play-off round after the Hungarians held Malmo to a 0-0 draw at home to go through on away goals.

Celtic need to wait until Thursday to find out who they meet in the Europa League. Spartaks Jurmala go to Suduva trailing 1-0 from the first leg, so the Lithuanians will be big favourites.

'Celtic lack balance in defence'

Pat Bonner

Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

I was always wary of this Achilles heel Celtic have with defending. There's an imbalance without a left-sided centre-back. Other parts of the game were good, they controlled the ball for long spells

'Time for cool heads at Celtic'

Celtic count cost of 'poor defending'

Michael Stewart

Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Celtic have no one to blame but themselves. The deficiencies of the team have been laid bare over the two legs. Poor defending has cost them.

It's also the first time Brendan Rodgers has suffered back to back defeats in his Celtic reign, following Saturday's slip up at Tynecastle.

FULL-TIME AEK Athens 2-1 Celtic (3-2)

It's a Europa League play-off for Celtic as manager Brendan Rodgers fails in a Champions League qualifier for the first time.

CLOSE!

Is that it? A improvised flick from Jozo Simunovic flashes inches wide. Agony for Celtic...

Groans of frustration from BBC Sportsound summariser Pat Bonner as a deep cross from Scott Sinclair is snaffled easily by the goalkeeper, who is now eating up vital seconds with some ham acting.

Five minutes added on

Time for a cavalry charge from Celtic...

AEK repel the free kick and Olivier Ntcham can only lash a first-time effort well wide from 20 yards.

YELLOW CARD Mantalos (AEK)

Another off the ball foul on Scott Brown. Time to load the ball into the box...

A great back-heel from Leigh Griffiths sets James Forrest up for a first time cross and Moussa Dembele is not far away from meeting it as the Greek central defenders clash heads in their eagerness to keep the ball out. Both men look groggy and need some treatment.

The volume goes up inside the Olympic Stadium as the home fans roar their side on. AEK respond with a good period of possession. Celtic have five minutes plus stoppage time to find the second goal they need.

AEK freshen things up as goalscorer Rodrigo Galo is replaced by Albanis.

Celtic have 'fighting hope'

Pat Bonner

Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

The ball into the box from the left hand side - getting it into an area where you can get at this defence. What a good finish with his head. That gives them a fighting hope now.