Manager Neil Lennon feels it would be wrong to set up his Celtic team to defend for 90 minutes in the second leg of their Europa League play-off with AIK on Thursday.

The Bhoys take a 2-0 first-leg advance to Sweden and are 2.25 favourites to win the match, with the Stockholm-based hosts on offer at 3.10.

It would be easy for the Hoops to sit back, soak up the home side’s pressure and then try to hit them on the break but Lennon has made it clear that is not the Celtic way. “We’re a front foot team and know we’re capable of scoring goals, we’ve shown that already this season,” he said.

“I don’t think we can sit in for 90 minutes. It would be folly to ask players to do something alien to them.”

A place in the group stage of Europe’s second-tier completion is on offer for the winner, with the Scottish champions currently priced at 67.00 to lift the trophy, although those odds are likely to tumble if they do make it through.

An away goal will be crucial to their hopes and Lennon believes that getting on the score sheet, plus a solid defensive effort from start to finish, should be enough to see his side prevail. “If we score one that would put us in a tremendous position in the tie,” he added.

“There may be bad moments we have to weather, but we’re capable of scoring goals here and getting a positive result.”