LASK vs Celtic: UEFA Champions League Play-Off Preview
The lights go on in Linz on Tuesday night, but LASK will need far more than atmosphere to drag themselves back into this UEFA Champions League play-off. Three goals down from the first leg, they walk into the Raiffeisen Arena knowing this could be either a famous European comeback or a straightforward Celtic procession.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST. The task is clear. The margin for error is not.
LASK: full strength, backs to the wall
If there is a sliver of hope for Dietmar Kühbauer, it lies in the stability of his squad. The first leg at Celtic Park was brutal on the scoreboard, yet it didn’t leave fresh scars on the team sheet.
No new injuries, no late withdrawals. LASK arrive at the decisive night with their core intact.
The one glaring absence remains forward Ramiz Harakaté. His ACL tear has ruled him out for the long term, stripping Kühbauer of a key attacking option at the very moment his side needs goals in a hurry.
Tactically, there will be no surprises from the start. Kühbauer is expected to lean again on his trusted 3-5-2, a system built to be compact and disciplined. Xavier Mbuyamba, Alemão and Andrés Andrade should form the back three, tasked with shutting down Celtic’s wide threats and keeping the tie alive long enough for belief to grow.
But LASK cannot sit in for 90 minutes. Not at 3-0 down.
Inside the camp, the plan is clear: stay organised early, then open the throttle if the aggregate score still looks bleak after the break. Extra attacking options are likely to flood on in the second half if they are still chasing quick goals. It’s a gamble, but a necessary one. A cautious exit won’t be forgiven.
Celtic: issues at the back, authority everywhere else
Martin O’Neill arrives in Austria with a commanding lead and a perfect start to the season, but his preparation has not been smooth.
At centre-back, Auston Trusty missed the final training session with a stomach illness. That late problem pushes Liam Scales to the front of the queue to partner Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of the defence. It’s not a crisis, but it is a reshuffle on a night where one early goal for the hosts could change the mood.
The full-back situation is even tighter. Alistair Johnston, the regular right-back, is out until October with a hamstring injury, leaving Colby Donovan ready to step in again on the flank. On the opposite side, Kieran Tierney is expected to feature in a makeshift back line that still needs to look assured under pressure.
Celtic’s absentees don’t stop there. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is suspended, removing a creative and experienced option from midfield and attack. Out wide, Jota remains a long-term casualty as he continues his recovery from a serious cruciate ligament injury.
Even with those setbacks, the spine looks strong. Viljami Sinisalo is tipped to start in goal, shielded by that patched-up defence but protected by a midfield that has been dominant in recent weeks.
Form: LASK perfect at home, humbled in Glasgow
Domestically, LASK have been ruthless. Four competitive games, four wins. In the Austrian Bundesliga, they’ve swept aside Grazer AK 3-0, Austria Wien 2-0 and SV Ried 4-1. Add a 7-0 demolition job in the Austrian Cup, and the numbers paint a side in full flow.
Then came Celtic.
The 3-0 defeat in Glasgow cut straight through that early-season swagger. For all their momentum in Austria, LASK were outclassed in the first leg and now need something extraordinary to flip the narrative.
Celtic, by contrast, have barely put a foot wrong under O’Neill. Four wins from four, 13 goals scored, just one conceded. They edged Dundee FC 1-0, dismantled Kilmarnock 5-1 in the Premiership, and crushed Dundee United 4-0 in the League Cup. The 3-0 win over LASK in Glasgow felt less like a contest and more like a statement.
That’s the backdrop in Linz: a home side flying domestically but bruised in Europe, facing a visitor that has yet to be seriously tested this season.
Predicted lineups
- LASK: Jungwirth; Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade; Jorgensen, Danek, Ljubicic, Horvath, Bello; Usor, Adeniran
- Celtic: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Baur; Duran, Hogh, Hyun-Jun
How to watch
In the UK, the second leg of this UEFA Champions League play-off between LASK Linz and Celtic will be shown live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Celtic stand 90 minutes away from the group stage. LASK stand 90 minutes away from either a heroic fightback or a harsh reality check. Which story wins the night in Linz?
