Overview
- Celtic were beaten 5-1 after extra time by LASK in Linz on Tuesday, overturning a 3-0 first-leg advantage and a 4-0 aggregate lead after Callum McGregor’s early goal.
- LASK scored through Moses Usor, Robert Ljubičić, Samuel Adeniran (two) and Florian Flecker to win the tie 5-4 on aggregate, and Viljami Sinisalo saved a late penalty in extra time.
- Manager Martin O’Neill said he accepted responsibility for the collapse and poor performance, and captain Callum McGregor apologised to fans, calling the team passive and saying they ‘got what we deserved.’
- The defeat sends Celtic into the Europa League league phase and, according to coverage, costs the club a reported tens of millions of pounds in lost Champions League income, which will limit late-window spending and affect recruitment.
- The loss continues a recent pattern of Champions League qualifying exits and leaves Celtic facing urgent questions about squad depth, fitness and recruitment as they prepare for the Europa League draw on Friday.