LASK overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit in extraordinary fashion, beating Celtic 5-1 after extra time in Linz to reach the Champions League league phase while the Scottish side drop into the Europa League.
Celtic arrived at Raiffeisen Arena with a commanding aggregate lead and even moved further ahead on the night through Callum McGregor, but the tie turned completely once LASK’s pressure began to tell.
Moses Usor cancelled out McGregor’s opener before Robert Ljubičić and Samuel Adeniran put the Austrian side 3-1 up after the break. Florian Flecker then struck in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to make it 4-1, level the tie at 5-5 on aggregate and force extra time.
Adeniran delivered the decisive goal in the 109th minute to complete one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the play-off round. He later missed a penalty after LASK were awarded one in the 114th minute, but by then the outcome was already settled.
Flecker forces extra time as LASK overturn Celtic’s lead
LASK needed a fast start after the 3-0 first-leg defeat, and the home side played like it. Early efforts from Samuel Adeniran, Robert Ljubičić and Andrés Andrade underlined the urgency, even if Celtic still carried enough threat to suggest the tie was under control.
That impression strengthened in the 21st minute when McGregor finished from Yang Hyun-jun’s pass to put Celtic 1-0 ahead on the night. At that stage, the Scottish side were 4-0 up on aggregate and seemingly moving out of reach.
The game did not settle there. LASK had already been asking questions before Moses Usor levelled in the 32nd minute, and the equaliser kept the second leg alive going into half-time rather than allowing Celtic to manage the evening at their own pace.
The real swing came immediately after the restart. Ljubičić made it 2-1 in the 48th minute from Usor’s pass, then Adeniran converted after Sascha Horvath’s pass on 58 minutes to cut Celtic’s aggregate lead to a single goal.
Celtic tried to regain control with a series of second-half changes, but the match kept moving in one direction. LASK continued to find spaces and shoot, with Horvath forcing a save in the 68th minute before more late pressure finally brought the goal the tie demanded.
Flecker, introduced from the bench only five minutes earlier, converted João Alemão’s pass in the 91st minute to make it 4-1. That goal transformed the aggregate score to 5-5 and sent the second leg into extra time.
Extra time followed the same pattern. Adeniran struck again in the 109th minute to put LASK 5-1 ahead, and although he failed to convert a late penalty in the 115th minute, Celtic had no route back.
Adeniran and Usor lead LASK’s second-half control
The scoreline was dramatic, but the underlying pattern was not a fluke. LASK did not dominate the ball, with possession split evenly at 50-50, yet they controlled the contest through the volume and persistence of their attacking play.
The hosts finished with 30 shots to Celtic’s four, eight efforts on target to two and 10 corners to five. Those numbers fit what the match looked like after the interval: LASK were not simply waiting for moments; they were forcing them.
Usor was central to that shift. He scored the equaliser, created Ljubičić’s goal three minutes into the second half and kept driving at Celtic even as the tie became more frantic. His work gave LASK both momentum and a direct route into dangerous areas.
Adeniran supplied the finishing touch. He had already been threatening in the first half, then took his chance on 58 minutes before returning with the extra-time winner. The missed penalty will sit in the record, but it barely registers beside the fact that he scored the goal that completed the comeback.
LASK’s approach after going ahead was especially telling. Rather than sitting back at 3-1, they kept pushing. Horvath tested the goalkeeper in the 68th minute, João Alemão and George Bello both had later efforts, and Flecker had already fired one attempt off target before scoring the goal that forced extra time.
That sustained pressure makes the broader verdict easier to justify. Neil Lennon said Celtic looked exhausted from around the 55th minute and credited LASK with overpowering them physically and technically. The match evidence supports the direction of that judgement: even with possession level, Celtic could not slow the game down or reduce the flow of chances against them.
What comes next for LASK and Celtic?
LASK’s reward is a place in the Champions League league phase, while Celtic’s European campaign continues in the Europa League.
Domestic football returns immediately for both clubs. LASK are back at home against Altach on Saturday 29 August at 18:30 BST, while Celtic host Falkirk earlier the same day at 15:00 BST.
The result leaves a clear contrast between the two sides’ immediate outlooks. LASK move on with the momentum of their pressure-based performance, while Celtic now have to respond quickly.
