Celtic’s Champions League ambitions face their first real test of the season tonight as Martin O’Neill’s side host Austrian champions LASK in the first leg of the play-off tie at Parkhead. The Hoops arrive with a point to prove after last year’s humiliation at the hands of Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty, a penalty shootout exit that ended five consecutive Champions League qualifying failures. O’Neill, back in the dugout following a brief hospital stay, will hope to banish those memories and guide Celtic back into the competition proper for the first time since 2020.
A night of redemption or another setback?
Celtic’s last Champions League campaign ended in acrimony. A 1-1 draw at home to Kairat Almaty in the second leg was followed by a shootout defeat that left the club’s hierarchy and supporters seething. The defeat was all the more galling given the Hoops’ dominance in the Scottish Premiership, where O’Neill’s side secured a league and Scottish Cup double in a dramatic final-day title race against Hearts. That domestic success now counts for little if Europe’s elite competition remains out of reach.
Tonight’s opponents, LASK, arrive in Glasgow with their own history to make. The Upper Austrian club are bidding to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history after winning the Bundesliga for the first time since 1965. Their squad, led by experienced Austrian internationals like Johannes Schützenauer and Thomas Fröschl, will be organised and compact, a side built on collective endeavour rather than individual star power. Celtic, by contrast, are packed with Premier League and international experience, but O’Neill knows all too well that experience alone doesn’t guarantee European nights.
O’Neill’s bold debut call
In a clear signal of intent, O’Neill has handed a debut to 22-year-old midfielder Mika Baur, a youngster signed from Austria Wien in the summer. The Northern Irish manager described Baur as “a fine little footballer” who injects “an extra bit of energy” into the midfield. The inclusion suggests O’Neill is prioritising dynamism and pressing intensity from the outset, a tactical shift that could unsettle LASK’s rhythm. Whether it’s enough to overcome the Austrian champions’ disciplined structure remains to be seen.
The Celtic XI is expected to feature a mix of youth and experience, with players like Alistair Johnston, Callum McGregor, and Kyogo Furuhashi likely to start. LASK, meanwhile, will line up with a back five, a system that frustrated many opponents in their Bundesliga-winning campaign. Their approach is likely to be pragmatic: absorb pressure, hit on the counter, and exploit set-pieces. Celtic, for their part, will need to break down a deep-lying defence and avoid the complacency that undid them against Kairat last year.
Tactical chessboard
O’Neill’s side will start with a clear game plan: control possession, stretch play wide, and force LASK into uncomfortable positions. The Hoops’ full-backs, Johnston and Greg Taylor, will be crucial in providing width and overlapping runs, while McGregor and Baur must dictate tempo in midfield. LASK’s midfield trio, led by Peter Michorl and Dominik Starkl, are industrious but not particularly creative, so Celtic’s wingers will need to isolate their full-backs and create chances.
Defensively, Celtic must avoid the high line that left them exposed against Kairat’s quick transitions. LASK’s centre-backs, Alexander Hack and Gernot Trauner, are comfortable on the ball, so Celtic’s strikers will need to press aggressively to force mistakes. If O’Neill’s side can limit LASK’s time on the ball and force turnovers in dangerous areas, they’ll have a real chance of taking a positive result back to Linz.
Tonight is more than just a football match; it’s a statement of intent. Celtic cannot afford another European failure if they are to re-establish themselves among the continent’s elite. LASK, meanwhile, will be emboldened by their domestic success and hungry for a historic night in Glasgow. The Champions League anthem will echo around Parkhead, but the real music will be made by the players on the pitch. The first notes have been played. Now it’s time to see who can conduct the performance.
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