Celtic are 90 minutes from securing a £40million place in the Champions League as they face LASK in the second leg of their playoff tie in Linz, Austria. Martin O'Neill's side carry a commanding three-goal lead from the first leg in Glasgow and need only to avoid a heavy defeat to progress.
First-leg advantage
A rocket from Benjamin Nygren and a brace from Camilo Duran gave Celtic a priceless 3-0 win at Parkhead last week. However, the visitors had two goals ruled out for offside, and the Scottish champions are aware the job is far from complete against the Austrian side.
Opposition determined
LASK boss Dietmar Kuhbauer insists his team believe in miracles and are ready to throw everything at Celtic in a desperate attempt to overturn the deficit. The Austrians have never reached the Champions League and face a mountain to climb, but they showed in Glasgow they are a tidy outfit and were unlucky not to score.
Team news and motivation
O'Neill confirmed full-back Alistair Johnston will be out until mid-October after putting his body on the line for the team, which scuppered a potential move to Everton. The manager is considering signing options but would love to have Johnston back and Celtic in the group stage. Victory would also trigger a transfer frenzy, with five deals in the balance in the final days of the window.
The draw for the league phase takes place on Thursday at 5pm, and Celtic are dreaming of more famous nights against Europe's elite. Record Sport is providing live coverage from the Raiffeisen Arena with all the build-up, team news, commentary and reaction.
