GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 11: Celtic huddle ahead of kick off during the William Hill Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Martin O’Neill has named an unchanged Celtic side for the second leg Champions League Play Off tie against LASK.
Holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg O’Neill will be delighted to have Auston Trusty available after the defender missed training on Monday due to an upset stomach.
Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers had a shaky start to the first leg but stood firm in the second half as Celtic kept a clean sheet.
The Celtic defence will be tested tonight but with his first choice pairing on the pitch O’Neill will be confident of progress into Thursday’s ‘group stage’ draw.
Celtic postponed their weekend fixture away to St Johnstone to give them extra preparation time to face the Austrian champions.
LASK had two goals disallowed during the first half of the first leg last week.
Away games are a different story but last season Celtic won at Feyenoord and Stuttgart in the Europa League while drawing with Red Star Belgrade and Bologna.
CELTIC ONE YEAR ON FROM KAIRAT
Tonight’s match in Austria gives Celtic the opportunity to finally move on from the Kairat Almaty fiasco a year ago.
With multiple recruitment issues brewing Celtic appeared to be given a straightforward Play Off tie against the champions of Kazakhstan.
A 0-0 draw at home was a warning sign. Repeated away from home there were no goals in extra-time with Celtic losing out on penalties.
Three different managers were in charge through the Europa League which ended in a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Stuttgart in the Round of 16 Play Off.
It was a massive downgrade on the previous season when they reached the same stage in the Champions League. Losing 3-2 to Bayern Munich, going to just five minutes from taking the tie into extra-time.
All of that ‘baggage’ is carried into tonight’s match.
The 3-0 first leg victory has put Celtic in the driving seat.
From the moment that that the final whistle went in the first leg O’Neill has been warning about the dangers ahead.
Celtic came through a number of huge challenges to win the SPFL title last season.
Tonight they have the chance to claim the full rewards by claiming a place back in the Champions League.
CELTIC: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Baur, Nygren; Duran, Hogh, Yang
SUBSTITUTES: Doohan, Scales, Balikwisha, McCowan, Tounekti, Osmand, Hassan, Kenny, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Ralston
“Tonight’s match in Austria gives Celtic the opportunity to finally move on from the Kairat Almaty fiasco a year ago.”
One we didn’t take.