Celtic face the Austrian champions LASK in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs as Martin O’Neill looks to guide the Scottish Premiership winners back into the competition proper.
O’Neill returned to Celtic last season and guided the club to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double following the end of a dramatic title race where they pipped Hearts on the final day of the season. The 74-year-old, who is back in the dugout following a small hospital procedure earlier this month, is now looking to take Celtic back into the Champions League having led the club to the Uefa Cup final in 2003.
Standing in Celtic’s way are the Austrian champions LASK who 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. Celtic will be wary, having crashed out of Champions League qualifying last season when they lost on penalties to Kazakhstan side Kairat Almaty.
Follow updates from Celtic v LASK in the Champions League play-offs, below
Who are LASK, Celtic’s opponents in Champions League play-offs?
LASK managed what Hearts came very close to achieving last year and ended a long wait to win the Austrian Bundesliga title. The Linz outfit won just the second title in their history and first since 1965. In Austria, Red Bull Salzburg had won 10 titles in a row between 2014 and 2023 but there have been two different champions since, Sturm Graz and LASK last year.
They have never played in the Champions League before and this will be their first meeting with Celtic. The Glasgow have only three of their 13 European matches against Austrian opponents but did beat Sturm Graz in last season’s Europa League.
Celtic arrive on form after perfect start to season under Martin O’Neill
The good news for Celtic is that they arrive into the Champions League play-offs have already started their season with three wins from three. Looking to carry on from last season’s excellent end to the season, Celtic have opened their campaign with victories over Dundee and Kilmarnock in the Premiership and a 4-0 at Dundee United in the League Cup on Sunday.
Celtic’s woeful Champions League play-off record
The last two times Celtic have qualified for the Champions League (2023-24), (2024-25), it has been because they have gone straight through to the league phase. Celtic have failed to come through qualifying in their last five attempts, going back to a tie against Astana in 2017-18. Last season brought the dismal defeat on penalties to Kazakhstan side Kairat Almaty, which spelled the end for Brendan Rogers. It was an awful defeat, especially as Celtic had pushed Bayern Munich close in the knockout stage the previous season.
A big night for new signing Mika Baur
Mika Baur makes his first Celtic start tonight – just six days after joining the club.
The 22-year-old midfielder was signed from Paderborn on a four-year deal and has big shoes to fill following the departure of Arne Engels, who has joined West Ham.
The German Under-21 international had his debut on Saturday in the 4-0 Scottish League Cup win at Dundee United and comes straight into the starting line-up tonight.
“He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability, he will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too,” Martin O’Neill said
Celtic make three changes as Baur, Yang and Tierney start
Colby Donovan is preferred to Anthony Ralston at right back with Alistair Johnston sidelined, while Kieran Tierney returns at left back.
With Arne Engels gone, Mika Baur comes into midfield alongside Callum McGregor while fellow new singings Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran also start.
Yang Hyun-jun is preferred on the wing to Sebastian Tounekti while Benjamin Nygren also starts behind Hogh.
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still serving a three-game due to a red card he received while playing for Besiktas in 2023, it’s three changes for Celtic.
Celtic team news
Celtic XI: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Baur; Yang, Nygren, Duran; Hogh
Martin O’Neill leads Celtic into another crunch Champions League tie
What an extraordinary time Martin O’Neill is having. Celtic’s run to the 2003 Uefa Cup final was 23 years ago and yet the 74-year-old is back to lead Celtic towards another shot at European glory in the Champions League.
Team news will be landing from Celtic in the next few minutes.
Good evening and welcome
Champions League nights at Celtic Park are special and they were desperately missed last season. The club paid the price for their complacency as they lost to Kairat Almaty in the play-offs and the scars of that defeat will linger over tonight’s clash with LASK, the champions of Austria. Kick-off is at 8pm.
