LASK vs Celtic: Champions League Clash in Linz
The numbers are brutal. Three goals down from the first leg, LASK Linz walk out at the Raiffeisen Arena on Tuesday night knowing this could be over early, or become one of those European evenings that lives for decades in club folklore.
Kick-off is 8pm BST in Linz. For the Austrians, it’s simple: score early, then see what the noise in this new stadium can do to Celtic’s nerve.
LASK: full strength, no excuses
If LASK are going to haul themselves back into this UEFA Champions League play-off, they will at least do it with a near-complete squad.
Dietmar Kühbauer came through that bruising 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park without picking up any new injuries. The medical bulletin is clean, the training ground quiet. He can lean on his strongest core again.
There is one glaring absentee. Ramiz Harakaté, a major attacking option, remains out long term with an ACL tear. He won’t be seen for a while, and his absence strips LASK of a direct, physical threat in the final third.
Tactically, Kühbauer is not expected to rip everything up. The 3-5-2 that has underpinned their domestic dominance should stay, with Xavier Mbuyamba, Alemão and Andrés Andrade forming the back three tasked with shutting down Celtic’s wide players before they can run at full tilt.
The plan, though, comes with a clear caveat. LASK know time is their enemy. Club sources indicate that if the tie still looks out of reach heading into the second half, Kühbauer will go for broke – extra forwards, more risk, more space in behind. It could get wild.
Probable LASK XI: Jungwirth; Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade; Jorgensen, Danek, Ljubicic, Horvath, Bello; Usor, Adeniran.
Celtic: strong form, fragile back line
Celtic arrive in Austria with the tie seemingly under lock and key and a manager who has barely put a foot wrong since the season began. Martin O’Neill’s side have played four competitive games, won all four, scored 13 and conceded just once. The 3-0 first-leg win over LASK in Glasgow looked routine.
But the second leg comes with complications.
At centre-back, Auston Trusty is a major doubt after missing the final training session with a stomach illness. That opens the door for Liam Scales to step in alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence. It’s a partnership that can work, but it’s not O’Neill’s ideal on a night when concentration and communication matter more than usual.
Full-back is an even bigger headache. Alistair Johnston, the first-choice right-back, is out until October with a hamstring problem. Colby Donovan is ready to cover again, and he will likely be tested early if LASK try to overload his flank and drag Celtic into a frantic, end-to-end game.
The problems don’t stop there. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is suspended, depriving Celtic of experience and drive between the lines, while Jota remains a long-term absentee as he continues his recovery from a serious cruciate ligament injury. Two big creative outlets, gone.
Between the posts, Viljami Sinisalo is expected to keep his place, shielded by a patched-up back four that should also feature Kieran Tierney. That makes Celtic’s shape clear: solid, disciplined, and ready to soak up pressure before striking on the break.
Probable Celtic XI: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Baur; Duran, Hogh, Hyun-Jun.
Form guide: domestic bullies, European reality check
LASK’s mood at home is very different from the one they carried off the pitch in Glasgow.
Domestically, they have been ruthless. Four competitive wins from four before that first leg: three straight victories in the Austrian Bundesliga – 3-0 against Grazer AK, 2-0 over Austria Wien, and a 4-1 dismantling of SV Ried – plus a 7-0 demolition job in the Austrian Cup. They have been swatting local opposition aside.
Then came Celtic. A 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park snapped that perfect start and exposed the gulf in tempo and efficiency at this level. Now they must prove that was a one-off, not a warning.
Celtic, by contrast, have barely broken stride. Under O’Neill, they have beaten Dundee FC 1-0 and Kilmarnock 5-1 in the Premiership, crushed Dundee United 4-0 in the League Cup, and then handled LASK 3-0 in the first leg. Thirteen scored, one conceded. A machine, so far.
That’s the backdrop: a home side that crushes teams in its own league but has to chase a European mountain, against a visitor that has yet to feel genuine pressure this season.
Where the tie could turn
For LASK, the opening 20 minutes feel non-negotiable. They need to rattle Celtic’s makeshift defence, test Donovan and Scales, and force Sinisalo into decisions he hasn’t had to make often this season. One goal, and the Raiffeisen Arena will roar them on to chase a second.
Celtic’s job is colder. Slow the game, quieten the stands, and hit hard on the counter when LASK inevitably push bodies forward. With Callum McGregor steering midfield and pace in the front line, they have the tools to punish any over-commitment.
The tie is heavily tilted towards the Scottish champions. But if LASK land the first punch in Linz, how secure will that three-goal cushion really feel?
