Celtic Crash Out of Champions League Play-Offs

Celtic were embarrassingly knocked out of the Champions League at the final play-off round, after surrendering a 3-0 first-leg lead against LASK.

It was all smiles in Glasgow last week when three superb goals put them on their way to the group phase of European club football’s elite competition.

A Dream Start

And it got even better for the Scottish champions after 20 minutes in Linz, when Callum McGregor’s effort from the edge of the areas deflected in, giving his side a 4-0 aggregate advantage and leaving the Austrians with a near insurmountable mountain to climb.

But they were gifted a way back into the game just ten minutes later, when Benjamin Nygren passed the ball straight to home forward Moses Usor, whose simple finish gave LASK a lifeline in Linz.

And when Robert Ljubicic scored from the edge of the box just three minutes into the second half, it was a sign of things to come for the visitors.

The panic sirens were blaring just before the hour, as a curling Samuel Aderniran effort beat Viljami Sinisalo in the Celtic goal to cut the deficit down to one.

And after a siege on the visiting penalty area for the remaining half-hour, LASK got their reward in the 90th minute, as Florian Flecker tapped home from close range after a brilliant initial save from Sinisalo.

The Final Blow

Extra time was needed to separate the two and it was Adeniran who had the final say. Luke McCowan dawdled on the ball in a dangerous area before the hosts pinched the ball back, and Adeniran fired home a long-range strike to complete a miraculous comeback and leave Celtic staring at the Europa League.

It’s Celtic’s second consecutive exit at this stage, after an embarrassing defeat to Kairat Almaty last year. But for LASK, it’s a first ever Champions League group phase campaign.