LASK's Title Defence: Winning but Not Convinced

LASK’s perfect start to their title defence has not fooled Lukas Jungwirth.

Two wins from two in the Austrian Bundesliga, a 2-0 victory over Austria Wien in the bank, and yet the goalkeeper walked away from Raiffeisen Arena with a warning rather than a celebration speech. With Celtic looming in a Champions League play-off, he knows the margin for error is about to shrink dramatically.

Winning – but not convinced

LASK, champions ahead of Sturm Graz last season, have begun as if they intend to keep their crown. Six points from six, another clean sheet, and a home crowd in Linz already dreaming of a season that stretches deep into Europe.

But the game against Austria Wien exposed cracks that a domestic rival could not fully exploit.

“Around the time of the offside goal, we relied too much on possession and weren't mentally prepared for Austria's counter-attacks,” Jungwirth admitted, speaking after Sunday’s win.

The result was never truly in danger, yet the pattern bothered him. The lapses in concentration, the casual spells on the ball, the looseness in transition – all the things that a sharper, more ruthless opponent would seize upon.

He did not need to name Celtic. The subtext was obvious.

Celtic threat on the horizon

Attention now swings towards the play-off, with the first leg at Celtic Park before the return in Austria. The Scottish champions arrive with their forward line rebuilt and re-energised.

Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran have already joined Martin O'Neill's squad, with Haissem Hassan set to deepen the attacking options further. It is a frontline designed to press high, run hard, and punish exactly the kind of complacency Jungwirth saw creeping into LASK’s game at the weekend.

“We also need to be more clinical at the end; we might be punished for that against other opponents,” he said.

That is the other side of the equation. LASK controlled large stretches against Austria Wien, but they left chances behind. Against Celtic, those missed opportunities could turn a promising night into a regretful one.

Standards of champions

Inside the LASK dressing room, belief is not in short supply. This is a squad that outlasted Sturm Graz over the course of a full campaign, handled the pressure of a title race, and opened the new season like a team that expects to dictate terms again.

Jungwirth’s words were not those of a pessimist. They were the standards of a champion.

“I think if you go home with a 2-0 win as the favourites, you can definitely be satisfied,” he added.

Job done, points secured, confidence intact. But satisfaction, for him, clearly sits alongside a demand for more.

LASK have shown they can dominate in Austria. The real question now is whether they can carry that authority into one of European football’s most unforgiving arenas, under the lights at Celtic Park, with a revamped Hoops attack waiting to expose any repeat of Sunday’s mistakes.