Celtic Vs LASK: Bhoys Take Big Step Toward Champions League Return

Celtic outlast LASK

Celtic put one foot in UCL proper with dominant win over LASK.

Tierney, Nygren, Duran fire Celtic to emphatic play-off win...

Celtic moved within touching distance of the Champions League league stage with a 3-0 home victory over LASK in the first leg of their play-off. It was only their second win in six UCL qualifying games at Celtic Park, and it also snapped the visitors’ six-match unbeaten away streak.

The atmosphere was electric at kickoff, but the crowd was nearly silenced inside 30 seconds when Moses Usor smashed in a volley from a tight angle. Celtic were let off though as the linesman raised his flag for offside.

LASK threatened again just two minutes later. Samuel Adeniran got the better of fellow American Cameron Carter-Vickers for pace, but the striker’s shot drifted wide of goal.

Having survived the early scares, Celtic started to settle. Benjamin Nygren found Camilo Durán in the area, and the forward forced a sharp save from Lukas Jungwirth in the 10th minute.

The match calmed down after that until the 26th minute. Kieran Tierney surged down the left and whipped in a cross that Sascha Horvath could only half-clear. It fell to Benjamin Nygren, who met it first-time with a precise strike into the top corner.

That goal had the Celtic support roaring again, but LASK hit back almost immediately. Adeniran nodded in George Bello’s cross, only for the offside flag to deny the Austrians once more.

Celtic made the most of that let-off seven minutes before half-time. Tierney was the creator again down the left, and after his cross was headed clear it fell to Duran. The Colombian struck a brilliant volley into the top corner.

  

Celtic were looking dangerous from range and, just before the hour mark, captain Callum McGregor tried his luck from outside the area. His shot took a couple of deflections, the final one off Kasper Hogh, before crashing against the post.

LASK grew into the game a bit after that under Dietmar Kuhbauer, but they were punished for not making it count. It was Nygren and Duran who linked up again to hurt them.

Duran drifted in from the right and exchanged a slick one-two with Nygren before bending a shot toward the top corner. Jungwirth got fingertips to it, but couldn’t keep it out.

LASK had netted 16 times in their opening four games of the season, so even a single away goal would have given them real hope of turning things around in Linz next week.

✅ Advantage Celtic after the first leg at Paradise.#CelticLASK | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/IIa7IvCLhU

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 19, 2026

But despite four of Celtic’s last six home matches ending 3-1, the Scottish champions shut up shop this time and kept Die Schwarz-Weißen out.

The job isn’t finished yet with the second leg to come at the Raiffeisen Arena next week, but Celtic now hold all the cards.