Celtic are 90 minutes from a £40million Champions League windfall after a 1-1 draw with LASK in the playoff second leg at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, Austria. Martin O'Neill's side took a commanding three-goal lead into the return leg and, despite a second-half lapse, advanced to the league phase draw on Thursday at 5pm.
A rocket from Benjamin Nygren and a brace from Camilo Duran gave Celtic a priceless first-leg victory in Glasgow, but two goals ruled out for offside meant the job was far from done. The Scottish champions now await the draw for the league phase, dreaming of more famous European nights under the lights.
Celtic Strike Early in Linz
Celtic started brightly, with Hyun-Jun Yang causing problems down the left and Mika Baur coming close to opening the scoring. The breakthrough came when Tierney played down the line for Yang, who hit the byline and squared for captain Callum McGregor, whose low effort deflected off Andrade's leg beyond Jungwirth. The goal silenced the home crowd and sent the away end wild, with Celtic fans singing "we're having a party in the Champions League."
LASK had chances before the goal, hitting the post through an effort from distance, but Celtic weathered the pressure. The hosts pushed for an equaliser on the night, with Robert Ljubicic heading over and Adeniran dragging an effort wide, but Celtic's defence held firm.
Nygren Error Gives LASK a Lifeline
Just after the hour, a needless blind backpass from Benjamin Nygren gifted the ball to Moses Usor, who slotted past Viljami Sinisalo to make it 1-1 on the night and 1-4 on aggregate. The goal lifted the home crowd, but Celtic defended well to clear a subsequent corner and saw out the remainder of the match.
Before kick-off, both teams took part in a minute's silence, with LASK fans unveiling a banner reading "Rest in Peace James" in tribute to the Celtic supporter who passed away after last week's meeting. Celtic's place in the league phase is now all but secured, with the draw taking place on Thursday evening.
