LASK coach Dietmar Kuhbauer has warned Celtic his side are ready to throw the kitchen sink at them in tonight's Champions League qualifier. The Austrian club face a mountain to climb as they attempt to overturn last week's 3-0 defeat at Parkhead and reach the group stage for the first time.
Kuhbauer: We'll throw everything at them
Kuhbauer said a lot needs to happen for his team to progress. Reviewing the first game, he described the result as very hard for LASK, noting they should have scored one, if not two, goals, which would have created a completely different situation. He acknowledged Celtic were very efficient and better at converting their chances, but insisted his side never gave up and played well overall.
He said: "Everyone speaks about getting a quick goal which would be good for the team tomorrow. One goal can make a huge difference and give us a chance of turning the game around.
"We're looking forward to the game. We'll have to throw everything at them - the kitchen sink at them. That's how it is if you need goals."
Mentality and risk-taking
Kuhbauer explained that if the game is late, LASK will have to take off defensive players and bring on attacking ones. He said it comes down to the players to ensure they are in the game and believe they can do it, fighting until the very end. He could not say whether it will happen, but stressed the importance of the right mentality among the players.
LASK had two first-half strikes disallowed in Glasgow before conceding three goals. Kuhbauer said Celtic will have learnt lessons from what LASK showed last week, but as the LASK coach he does not know how they will surprise them. He said the most important thing is to hit the right gear as soon as possible and take risks, without leaving themselves exposed or playing with caution.
He said: "We're talking about a very good Celtic team. But our objective has to be to score, not let them score, but we need three goals.
"We need to make sure we keep our shape at the back which we did well in the first leg, even though we did score those three goals. But that's how the game turned out."
Belief in miracles and Adeniran's warning
The odds are firmly stacked against LASK, but Kuhbauer says he believes in miracles. He said: "If I didn't believe, then it'd be terrible. As a coach, you're on the sideline, but you have to give your players belief. A lot of things have happened in football, but we need a fantastic performance. That much is true, but I'll always believe in that."
Meanwhile, striker Samuel Adeniran has warned Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty he is ready for round two. The American caused his fellow countrymen problems last week and had a header chalked off. He said: "Both are good centre-backs. Strong in the air as well. For me, I think that in the next game I definitely have to come with my best quality.
"These are good centre-backs I'm up against. They did a good job. For my striking partner and me, we definitely have to be on our game.
"I never met with them personally. I've never been involved with the US national team. I know George Bello has spoken with them on occasion. But after the game I didn't really speak to them. I had never really played against or spoken to them."
