Ruairi Daly 
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Leigh Griffiths believes that he has been an unlucky part in Celtic’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, but hopes to make it third time lucky.
The 25-year-old striker has scored in his last three appearances in the Champions League qualifying stage, and will hope to be on the scoresheet once again for the Hoops against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Griffiths has never played a game in the group stages of Europe’s premier competition, and said he feels like a jinx for Celtic, who have failed to qualify for the group stages in the last two seasons.
As quoted by the Daily Express, he said:
I feel like I am a jinx. Celtic were in the Champions League before I signed.
The only way I can prove myself to everybody around the world is if we get to the Champions League and I play when we get there.
The boys who have been here the last two years have been hurting, but we have got a chance to rectify that.
Griffiths fronted the Celtic attack for the vast majority of last season, resulting in him scoring 40 goals in all competitions – including two goals in the first leg of last season’s play-off tie against Malmo.
Brendan Rodgers will be hoping the Scottish international can do the same tonight against Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Paradise and help move the Hoops one step closer to the Champions League group stages.
Eric Knott 
