LASK vs Celtic: UEFA Champions League Playoff Preview

Tuesday night in Linz offers LASK a simple equation and a brutal reality. They need goals. At least three of them, without reply, just to drag Celtic into extra time at the Raiffeisen Arena. Anything less, and the UEFA Champions League dream is over before the group stage lights even flicker.

Kick-off is 8pm BST. The deficit is 3-0. The task is enormous.

LASK: full strength, backs to the wall

If there is a sliver of hope for LASK, it lies in their squad sheet. Dietmar Kühbauer has no new injuries from that bruising first leg at Celtic Park and can lean on what he considers his strongest core.

The big miss is already known and already baked into their season planning. Ramiz Harakaté, the forward who should have been central to nights like this, remains out long term with an ACL tear. He will not be seen for months. LASK have had to learn to live without him.

Kühbauer is expected to stay loyal to his trusted 3-5-2 from the start. Xavier Mbuyamba, Alemão and Andrés Andrade are set to form the back three, charged with shutting down Celtic’s wide threats and giving LASK a platform to build from. Structure first, chaos later.

Because the plan is clear. Keep it tight early, then open the throttle if the aggregate scoreline demands it. Club sources suggest a far more aggressive approach after the interval if LASK are still chasing the tie, with extra forwards ready to be thrown on as soon as the situation turns desperate. It probably will.

Domestically, they arrive in excellent shape. Four competitive wins from four in Austria had them purring: a 3-0 victory over Grazer AK, a 2-0 win against Austria Wien, and a 4-1 dismantling of SV Ried in the Bundesliga, plus a ruthless 7-0 rout in the Austrian Cup. At home, they have looked ruthless.

Then came Glasgow. Celtic 3-0 LASK. A reality check, and a mountain built in 90 minutes.

Celtic: problems at the back, momentum everywhere else

Martin O’Neill brings a side in full flow, but not without complications. Celtic have won all four of their competitive matches this season, scoring 13 and conceding just once. Confidence is high. The squad, less so.

At centre-back, there is a late worry. Auston Trusty missed the final training session with a stomach illness, leaving Liam Scales on alert to step in alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. Not ideal in a hostile away leg, but Celtic have managed turbulence before.

Full-back is even more stretched. Alistair Johnston, the first-choice right-back, is out until October with a hamstring injury. Colby Donovan is expected to cover again, asked to deliver in a patched-up back line that will also feature Kieran Tierney.

The absences continue further forward. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is suspended, robbing Celtic of experience and drive from midfield. Out wide, Jota remains a long-term casualty as he recovers from a serious cruciate ligament injury. Two major attacking options, gone.

In goal, Viljami Sinisalo is tipped to start, the man behind a defence that has barely been breached this season but will not be at full strength in Linz.

For all that, the form book still leans heavily green and white. Celtic have edged Dundee FC 1-0, thrashed Kilmarnock 5-1 in the Premiership, and crushed Dundee United 4-0 in the League Cup. Add the 3-0 first-leg win over LASK, and O’Neill’s side have barely broken stride.

Predicted lineups

• LASK (3-5-2): Jungwirth; Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade; Jorgensen, Danek, Ljubicic, Horvath, Bello; Usor, Adeniran
• Celtic (4-3-3): Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Baur; Duran, Hogh, Hyun-Jun

Where to watch

For viewers in the UK, the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg between LASK Linz and Celtic will be shown live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Celtic arrive with one foot already in the group stage. LASK arrive with nothing to lose. On nights like this, that can be a dangerous mix.