the Scottish champions suffered a spectacular 5-1 extra-time defeat to LASK in Austria, surrendering a 4-0 lead on aggregate and crashing out of the Champions League play-offs. What began as a seemingly comfortable evening ended with LASK celebrating a historic 5-4 aggregate victory, while Celtic were left wondering whether somebody had accidentally switched off the footballing survival instincts.
The collapse was even more extraordinary because Celtic had arrived in Linz with a 3-0 first-leg advantage and extended it further when Callum McGregor put them ahead in the second leg. UEFA confirms that LASK then produced one of the competition’s most remarkable comebacks, scoring four more times before Samuel Adeniran struck again in extra time to complete the turnaround.
LASK Complete Stunning Comeback to Knock Celtic Out of Champions League
Celtic appeared to have one foot firmly inside the Champions League league phase after McGregor’s goal made the aggregate score 4-0. Then the footballing gods apparently decided that somebody had become far too comfortable. Moses Usor pulled one back before Robert Ljubičić and Adeniran reduced the deficit further, with Florian Flecker’s late goal forcing extra time.
By then, Celtic’s four-goal cushion had transformed from a fortress into what looked suspiciously like a promotional offer: buy four goals, receive absolutely no protection whatsoever. LASK, meanwhile, kept attacking with remarkable conviction. Their dominance was reflected in the statistics, with the Austrian side registering 40 attempts compared with Celtic’s eight.
Adeniran Fires LASK Into Champions League After Celtic Collapse
The decisive moment arrived in the 109th minute when Samuel Adeniran struck again to make it 5-1, completing a brace and putting LASK ahead 5-4 on aggregate. The American forward had already scored the third goal that revived the Austrian champions’ hopes, before returning in extra time to turn Celtic’s nightmare into European history.
The irony became even greater when Adeniran later missed a penalty, proving that even after destroying Celtic’s Champions League hopes, he was apparently prepared to give them one final opportunity to survive. Celtic could not take it. The defeat means LASK advance to the Champions League league phase for the first time, while Celtic drop into the Europa League.
Celtic’s latest European adventure therefore ends with an extraordinary lesson in football mathematics: a 3-0 first-leg victory can become meaningless remarkably quickly when the second leg turns into a five-goal disaster. For LASK, it is a historic night; for Celtic, it is the sort of match supporters may eventually describe simply as the night the four-goal lead disappeared. OGM News FC will continue watching this extraordinary story for the fallout, reactions and whatever explanation eventually emerges from Celtic’s remarkable collapse.
