Celtic produced a ruthless display of clinical finishing to beat LASK 3-0 in their UEFA Champions League play-off first leg in Glasgow, taking a commanding advantage into the return match. Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring and Camilo Duran scored twice as Celtic put themselves in a strong position to progress to the league phase.
LASK made a bright start. Samuel Adeniran fired narrowly wide, while Moses Usor had several decent chances, before Celtic found their footing. Nygren struck first for the Bhoys, with Duran then replicating the goal with an almost-identical volley before adding his second.
Duran’s Continental Form
Duran’s double continued an impressive run in the competition. He has now scored six goals in his last six Champions League fixtures, including qualifying.
Martin O’Neill praised Celtic’s performance and finishing after the match, while acknowledging the problems LASK caused during the opening stages. He said the tie remained far from over and that Celtic still had work to do in the second leg.
The Second Leg Ahead
The 3-0 first-leg result gives Celtic a significant platform, but the play-off will be decided when the sides meet again in Linz on 25 August. LASK will seek a response at home, while Celtic will aim to protect their advantage and complete progress from the tie.