Celtic put themselves within touching distance of a Champions League return after thrashing LASK 3-0 in the first leg of their play-off tie at Celtic Park. Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring before Camilo Duran struck twice, giving the Hoops a three-goal cushion to take into next week’s second leg in Austria.
Early Scares Before Celtic Take Control
It could have gone very differently. Moses Usor fired LASK ahead inside the opening minute, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside. The visitors then had a second let-off when Samuel Adeniran raced clear of Cameron Carter-Vickers but dragged his effort wide.
Celtic gradually asserted themselves, and the breakthrough came in the 27th minute when Kieran Tierney’s ball found Nygren, who curled a first-time finish into the top corner.
LASK thought they had a route back into the game eight minutes later when Adeniran headed in, but the offside flag denied them again. Celtic made them pay almost immediately: in the 38th minute, LASK failed to properly clear a Tierney cross, and the ball dropped for Duran outside the box, who smashed it into the net for his first goal at Parkhead.
Duran’s Second Seals the Night
The Colombian struck again in the 67th minute to put the tie beyond reasonable doubt, finishing off a sweeping counterattack after combining with Nygren. Elsewhere, Celtic came close to adding further gloss to the scoreline — a Callum McGregor effort from range took a deflection off Kasper Hogh and struck the woodwork — while goalkeeper Sinisalo was called into action at the other end, twice denying LASK’s Usor and Adeniran to preserve the clean sheet.
O’Neill Wary Despite Commanding Lead
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill was pleased with the performance but stopped short of declaring the job done, pointing to LASK’s early threat.
“I thought there were periods where we played some really fantastic stuff. There were also periods where they played fantastic stuff. It was really like a basketball game, particularly in the first half,” O’Neill said. “We rode a little bit of luck. They had a great shot in the first minute, just marginally offside… it took us time to get going. But when we did, we scored a great goal by Nygren to take a bit of pressure off, give us the lead and then Duran’s two goals were fantastic. But, the game is absolutely in the balance yet.”
McGregor: Job Only Half Done
Captain Callum McGregor echoed his manager’s caution while praising Duran’s contribution.
“We are trying to get the club in the Champions League. Only halfway there but fantastic performance. We have to get finish it off next week,” McGregor said. On Duran: “Two unbelievable finishes, we have seen it in pre-season. He is a real threat. The thing I love about him is he is always chasing back.”
McGregor added that the club’s recent recruitment reflected a broader effort to move forward. “It was important we try to strengthen. It’s small steps and we have a really tough game next week,” he said.
A Different Picture From Last Season
Twelve months ago, Celtic were eliminated at this same stage by Kazakh side Kairat Almaty. Sky Sports News’ Adam Binnie, reporting from Celtic Park, noted the turnaround and the impact of the club’s summer business, highlighting Duran’s two goals along with the performance of fellow new signing Mika Baur, who Binnie felt was arguably Player of the Match on his home debut. Latest arrival Hasseim Hassan also impressed after coming on, while Hogh — though not among the scorers — was influential in the build-up play, according to Binnie’s report.
Binnie’s report also noted the club have reinvested more than £30m in new signings this summer while remaining financially in the black, with further additions possible before the transfer window closes on September 3. Progression in the tie is estimated to be worth around £40m to the club, per the report.
What’s Next
Celtic carry their 3-0 lead into the second leg in Linz on Tuesday, needing to see out the tie against an LASK side still chasing a first-ever appearance in the Champions League’s top-tier group stage.
