LASK complete remarkable comeback to eliminate Celtic from Champions League

LASK produced one of the most dramatic comebacks in UEFA Champions League qualifying as they overturned a three-goal first-leg deficit to beat Celtic 5-1 and reach the 2026-27 league phase. Egypt international Haitham Hassan watched the entire match from the Celtic substitutes’ bench without making an appearance.

Celtic had taken control of the play-off tie with a 3-0 victory in the first leg, but their advantage disappeared in a remarkable second leg in Austria. LASK’s win secured a 5-4 aggregate success and ended the Scottish club’s hopes of reaching the league phase.

LASK turn tie around after Celtic make fast start

Callum McGregor gave Celtic an ideal start when he opened the scoring in the 21st minute. The goal appeared to put the visitors on course to complete the job, but LASK responded quickly.

Moses Usor equalised for the Austrian side in the 32nd minute, reducing Celtic’s aggregate advantage to two goals before Robert Ljubicic struck three minutes after the interval. His 48th-minute goal made the score 2-1 on the night and left LASK requiring only one more goal to level the tie overall.

The hosts continued to apply pressure and were rewarded in the 58th minute when Samuel Adeniran scored their third. That goal left LASK one goal away from drawing level on aggregate, while Celtic struggled to regain control of the match.

LASK eventually completed the recovery in the 90th minute. Florian Flecker scored the fourth goal of the evening, bringing the aggregate score to 4-4 and forcing the tie into extra time.

Adeniran settles extra-time thriller

The decisive moment came in the 109th minute, when Adeniran scored his second goal of the match and LASK’s fifth. His powerful finish put the Austrian club ahead for the first time in the tie and sent them through to the league phase.

Adeniran missed a penalty in the 115th minute, giving Celtic a late opportunity to hope for another twist. However, LASK held on to complete a historic comeback and secure their place among the teams competing in the Champions League league phase.

Celtic therefore exit the competition despite their commanding first-leg victory, having been beaten 5-1 in the return match. The result represents one of the most notable comebacks in the qualifying rounds.

The goals were widely highlighted online, including McGregor’s opener, Usor’s equaliser, Flecker’s goal that made it 4-4 on aggregate and Adeniran’s extra-time strike that completed the turnaround.

Haitham Hassan remained an unused substitute throughout the contest as Celtic’s European campaign ended in dramatic fashion. Further discussion of the match and other football news is available through the Kooora forums.