Aussies Abroad Preview: Celtic crowned champions, play-offs begin in Italy

Tom Rogic has joined his compatriot Denis Genreau, as a league champion, having secured the Scottish title mid-week, with the celebrations set to continue at Celtic Park this weekend

A stadium of green and white awaits the Hoops, with the Premiership trophy to be lifted after the conclusion of their match against Motherwell.

Meanwhile Fran Karacic begins a gruelling four-game play-off campaign for Serie A football, while Bailey wright and Sunderland prepare for next weekend's League One play-off final at Wembley.

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England & Scotland

Tom Rogic is a Scottish Premiership winner for a sixth time, with the midfielder collecting the title mid-week with Celtic FC, after a nail-biting 1-1 draw away at Dundee United.

Having previously been nicknamed the 'Wizard from Oz' by those in green and white, Rogic may well hand over his title to his manager Ange Postecoglou, who has seemingly achieved the near impossible during his first season as the Hoops' manager. Having now rubber stamped the title, Rogic and his team return to Celtic Park to face Motherwell (Saturday 9:15pm AEST), and celebrate the title with their faithful supporters.

 

In Edinburgh, Nathaniel Atkinson will look to rub salt into the wounds of Celtic's greatest rivals Rangers, who fell short of their Glasgow neighbours, despite experiencing an incredible continental campaign.

The clash between Atkinson's Hearts and Rangers (Saturday 9:15pm AEST) will also be an early preview for the Scottish Cup Final, with both sides to meet once again at Hampton Park, in just over a week's time.

Germany

Eintracht Frankfurt conclude their Bundesliga season on Saturday night, with Ajdin Hrustic's side facing mid-table club FC Mainz, away from home (Saturday 11:30pm AEST). Hrustic and his team are nestled just below the league's top half and will be hoping to wrap up the season with a victory before attention then turns to the UEFA Europa League final against Scottish club Rangers in Seville.

It is a final day standoff in the northern city of Hamburg, with the town's two footballing powerhouses, Hamburger SV and FC St Pauli, fighting for the last remaining promotion position. The blue side of the city in prime position, with Hamburger now three points above their rivals with a superior goal difference, heading into their tie away at Hansa Rostock.

Meanwhile the club of Jackson Irvine, FC St Pauli, require a near miracle on the final day, needing their rivals to lose by a substantial margin, while also putting away Fortuna Düsseldorf in their match, at home in front of a packed Millerntor Stadion (Sunday 11:30pm AEST).

 

Continental Europe

The first round of promotion play-offs begin in Italy's Serie B, with Fran Karacic's Brescia still very much in the fold for top-flight football next season. Brescia finished the season in fifth, now tasked with a home knock-out clash against eighth place Perugia (Sunday 2am AEST).

If Karacic and Co manage to progress from the first round, they will face a two-legged semi-final tie, with the opponent most likely being fourth place Monza, before a tradition play-off final awaits, for whoever emerges as the victor.

 

This weekend, Denis Genreau and his FC Toulouse team will undoubtedly receive a guard of honour to commemorate their league title triumph, with the men in purple travelling to their direct title rivals Ajaccio (Sunday 3am AEST), for the last match of the Ligue 2 season.

Having wrapped up the title in style last match-day after being behind early, Toulouse extended their margin at the top to 7 points. The occasion will be one of celebration for both sides, with Toulouse's opponents having secured promotion on the same day. The clash is set up as a classic between Ligue 2's most dominant pair, while also being a preview to a pivotal match-up in the French first division next season.

In Denmark, Joel King's team Odensk BK back up for their third league match in less than a week, when they host Lawrence Thomas' SønderjyskE (Sunday 10pm AEST). The 21-year-old and his side are still firmly in the hunt for European football next season, with a single point separating OB from the last UEFA Conference League position, with only three matches still to play.

Awer Mabil heads into the second last match of the Turkish Süper Lig season with an even match-up, facing top half side Antalyaspor at home (Monday 2am AEST), before an away tie at Atlay wraps up a successful campaign, in which Mabil's Kasimpasa miraculously rose from battlers to European contenders.

Aziz Behich meanwhile, will face his former club Istanbul Basaksehir (Monday 2am AEST), at which he claimed his first Turkish league title just two seasons ago. Behich's Giresunspor will also head into the match with far less pressure than their opponents, after securing league safety last weekend.

Asia & The Middle-East

Mitch Duke and his side Fagiano Okayama will hope to push further up the J2 league table, with a promising fixture awaiting Okayama in the upcoming matchday, with a home match against one of the competition's strugglers, Thespakusatsu Gunma (Sunday 3pm AEST). The Socceroos striker will have extra motivation to go out and perform, having also been reunited with his family during the week, who made the journey from Sydney to Japan

 

Currently in fourth, occupying a play-off position, the aim will be to push past the 5 point gap separating Duke's team from the league's top three, regaining their place within the automatic promotion spots, before the logjam of fixtures coming up in the next few months.

Overnight in Saudi Arabia, Martin Boyle played out the full 90 minutes for club side Al-Faisaly, as they fell 1-0 to Al-Shabab, away from home. For the forward and his teammates, all eyes turn to the AFC Champions League knockout rounds, with the Saudi Pro League now entering its latter stages.

The United States

Milos Degenek and his Columbus Crew prepare for the toughest road-trip in Major League Soccer, with last season's champions New York City FC (Sunday 9am AEST) hosting the Ohio outfit at Yankee Stadium this weekend. Having re-found some form in recent times, the Crew now find themselves back amongst the race for a playoff position within the Eastern Conference, sitting just one point behind their opponents, the Cityzens.