Another season, another failure - where did it all go wrong for Celtic?
August 26, 2026 17:43
Celtic surrendered a commanding two-legged advantage against LASK, having led 3-0 from the first leg and taking an early lead in Austria that put them 4-0 up on aggregate in the first half of the second match. A dramatic second-half collapse in Linz saw LASK score five times across the tie to win 5-4 on aggregate, with Celtic conceding an equaliser only in the 90th minute of the return match before the hosts completed the turnaround.
Manager Martin O'Neill accepted responsibility for the defeat. Captain Callum McGregor said the team appeared "scared" and "passive" as LASK applied sustained pressure, while a string of individual errors from Benjamin Nygren, Auston Trusty and Luke McCowan directly led to goals.
KEY CONTEXT
- This is Celtic’s sixth failed attempt to reach the Champions League proper in the past eight seasons, a pattern the source frames as an ongoing problem for the club in August.