Celtic’s quest to qualify for the UEFA Champions League league stage reaches a decisive moment on Wednesday night when they host Austrian champions LASK Linz at Parkhead.
Martin O’Neill’s men have started the campaign well, winning all three of their matches to date, including a 4-1 Scottish League Cup victory at Dundee United on Saturday.
But they will be wary of overconfidence as they attempt to overcome a familiar hurdle after five consecutive failures to progress through UEFA Champions League qualifying.
It is seven years since LASK last arrived at this critical juncture and only two seasons on from a dismal UEFA Europa Conference campaign where they claimed only three points from six league phase outings.
However, Didi Kühbauer’s side stormed to the domestic double last term and have opened the Austrian Bundesliga season with three straight wins, including a thumping 4‑1 derby victory over SV Ried last Friday.
The fixture looks finely poised, and with the return leg at the Oberösterreich Arena looming next week, Celtic know they must make home advantage count if they are to exorcise the ghost of last season’s shock exit on penalties to Kairat Almaty.
Celtic v LASK Linz Tips Summary
Best Bet - Double Chance Draw or LASK Linz @ 6/5
Alternative Bet - Benjamin Nygren anytime goalscorer @ 11/8
Bet Builder - Both teams to score, Kasper Hogh 1+ shots on target & Moses Usor anytime goalscorer @ 11/2
Celtic v LASK Linz Prediction
Best Bet: Double Chance Draw or LASK Linz @ 6/5
This tie appears far more finely balanced than the market implies, and recent history offers a clear reminder of how often Celtic have struggled to live up to their pre-match favourism.
Heavy underdogs Kairat Almaty held the Hoops to a 0‑0 draw in Glasgow at this same stage last season, then went on to eliminate Brendan Rodgers’ side on penalties after another stalemate in Kazakhstan.
O’Neill’s current group is undoubtedly more resilient and better‑organised than some of those previous qualifying sides, but LASK’s blend of pace, physicality and self‑belief makes them a genuinely awkward opponent.
The Austrians are unbeaten across their last 13 competitive outings since March, a run which includes a win at Red Bull Salzburg and a 1-1 draw at Sturm Graz - the club that knocked Hearts out of the UEFA Champions League 6-0 on aggregate.
Alternative Bet: Benjamin Nygren anytime goalscorer @ 11/8
Nygren has been a leading light for Celtic since his arrival last summer and cannot be ignored in anytime goalscorer betting whenever the Hoops are in action.
The Swede scored 24 goals in all competitions for his club last season and is already off to a flier with strikes in each of the Hoops’ first three this term.
Celtic will look to create wide overloads against LASK’s 3-5-2 system and deliver crosses into the box with Nygren’s ability to time his runs crucial to their success.
He scored with a header from Kieran Tierney’s cross against Dundee in the league earlier this month and smashed home a superb left-footed effort from the edge of the box on Saturday.
Celtic v LASK Linz Bet Builder
Both teams to score
Moses Usor anytime goalscorer
Kasper Hogh 1+ shots on target
Pays 11/2
Both teams have scored in 10 of LASK’s last 15 games and they carry enough of a goal threat to worry a Celtic backline that has kept only two clean sheets in the last 10 home games.
Usor finished as LASK’s top scorer last season and he was sharp enough to finish a chance in their win over Ried on Friday.
The Nigerian has the pace and power to cause Celtic problems on Wednesday if he gets the right service.
Finally, add Hogh to register at least one shot on target to this bet Builder. The Dane managed to do that in 10 of his 15 UEFA Champions League appearances for Bodo/Glimt last season.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Celtic have failed to progress through UEFA Champions League qualifying in their last five attempts
LASK have scored nine goals and conceded one in their first three league matches
The Austrian champions have won their last seven competitive matches and are unbeaten since 22nd March 22
Nygren has scored in all three of Celtic’s games this season
Usor finished as LASK’s top scorer last term with 15 goals in all competitions
LASK have scored multiple goals in their last nine competitive contests
Celtic have won only three of 13 matches against Austrian sides in European competitions
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
