Celtic face a Champions League play-off first leg against Austrian champions LASK Linz on Wednesday, with the tie offering another chance to return to Europe’s top competition after last season’s disappointment.
That setback still lingers at Celtic. Twelve months ago, they were denied Champions League qualification by Kairat Almaty after a goalless first-leg draw and a penalty shoot-out defeat in Kazakhstan. One week later, Brendan Rodgers' messy exit was confirmed, adding another layer to a turbulent period for the club.
Now the task is straightforward enough to define, if not to complete: win a two-legged affair and book a place in the Champions League. For Celtic, the prize is about more than prestige. Missing out on qualification last year meant losing the status and revenue that come with reaching the competition proper, which is why this tie carries so much weight.
What Martin O'Neill said
Martin O'Neill, who guided Celtic to a league and cup double last season, said it was a major disappointment not to qualify for the Champions League. He noted that, based on what had happened the previous year, the failure to make it felt doubly painful.
He also pointed out that the players still at the club may remember what happened and feel they have something to prove this time around. That is the real edge to this play-off: it is not only about LASK Linz, but about Celtic trying to erase the memory of Kairat Almaty and the frustration that followed.
Summer changes and the next step
Celtic have also added two Champions League-proven attackers in the summer, which gives the squad more experience for a match of this size. The expectation now is that those additions help in a contest where margins can be tight and the pressure is obvious from the first leg.
For a club that knows what the Champions League stage looks like, the opportunity is clear. The challenge is turning that experience into a result over the next two matches. If Celtic can handle the first leg well, they will put themselves in position to finish the job and reset the story around their European season. For more on why this fixture matters, Celtic Vs Lask is a chance to reset the Champions League story.
That is the task in front of Celtic now: not to relive last year’s disappointment, but to make sure it does not happen again.
