RONNY DEILA will not set out Celtic with a defensive philosophy tomorrow night as the Hoops strive to make it into the play-offs for the Uefa Champions League group stages.

With a 1-0 lead to protect from the opening leg in Glasgow, it is a tie that is firmly in the balance.

Just one goal would widely be expected to send Celtic through since Qarabag would then need to counter that with three.

As such, Deila does not want his side to approach the game looking to defend the goal they have, but also to add to their aggregate tally.

The Hoops boss believes that Celtic will need to score if they are to prevail and get through the tie.

“We need to get our heads round it now,” said Deila.

“I hope 1-0 is enough, but we still want to go there with the aim of trying to score,” said Deila. “That is very important. It could change the game completely.

“We know we have to be sensible and defend well. But we also know that we have the pace which could allow us to break and make counter-attacks very quickly.

“When we get the chance we need to be offensively clever. It takes only one chance to put us into a very strong position.

“We definitely want a goal. We know it will be difficult but we have confidence and belief. I believe in my players and I believe we are good enough to go and get a result.”

Leigh Griffiths is expected to be fit for tomorrow night’s game and for Deila the most important thing was that the striker shook off the knock.

Griffiths and Nadir Ciftci – who served the first of his six-game domestic ban on Saturday afternoon – have been vying for the starting jersey, but the former has been overlooked for a start in all of the Champions League qualifiers to date.

Ciftci is clearly regarded by Deila as having the necessary physical attributes that can hold up the ball and bring others into play, but having not yet hit the mark for his new club, there is some question mark over whether or not he has yet settled into his post.

Griffiths, by contrast, has netted six goals since returning from the summer break and it could be that his pace is seen as a weapon to stretch Qarabag in a game where the hosts must come out and try to penetrate Celtic.

Deila was inevitably coy about his starting line-up, but he did admit that having both strikers fit was the only headache he need concern himself with.

“It is more important that we have Leigh fit and with us – it would be a much bigger headache if he did not make it,” said Deila. “He has done very well. He is scoring goals and his attitude is good. He will get lots of games this season, that is for certain.”

In Glasgow last week, Qarabag were comfortable in possession and slick on the ball, but they were relatively toothless when it came to attack.

While they were able to induce a mild state of panic in the home crowd whenever they crossed the halfway line – such is the tension on such nights when so much is at stake – they did not trouble Craig Gordon into a save.

It can be expected that it will be an entirely different proposition tomorrow night since they need a goal to stay in the tie.

Celtic, though, will take some solace that for all Qarabag’s impressive results in the Europa League last season, they have not scored more than one goal at home in their previous five European outings.

Deila, though, is wary of the threat they carry and the fact that they are so comfortable on the ball.

“Technically, they are a very good side,” he said. “They have shown with their Europa League results that they have an awareness of how to play in Europe and how to get results at home. This will not be an easy night.

“It will be difficult and we will have to be disciplined and focused for the full 90 minutes. But if we can play to the level we are capable of playing – and I am thinking about the way we played against Inter Milan – we can get through. But we need everyone to be at their best, to be switched on and thinking all the time.”

And Deila will also look to tap into the experience of the likes of skipper Scott Brown, Mikael Lustig and Kris Commons, who all know what it is like to play in the group stages of the Champions League.

“They can be so important,” said Deila. “They can keep everyone focused. I think it is too early for Kris to start, but he is a big player to bring into a game.

“Scott is a good talker and a big player in every way for us. He can have a very positive influence during the game, especially at tense moments.”