Celtic travel to Austria on Tuesday holding a commanding advantage in their Champions League play-off tie against LASK, needing only a solid performance at the Raiffeisen Arena to confirm their place in the group stage this season.
Martin O'Neill's side head into the second leg with a 3-0 cushion from the first meeting in Glasgow, where summer signing Camilo Duran was the standout performer. The 24-year-old netted twice in impressive fashion to seal the win for the Hoops, while Benjamin Nygren had earlier put Celtic ahead with a volleyed finish.
Despite the scoreline, the Austrian champions were far from outclassed on the night. LASK saw two efforts disallowed for offside in the opening half, moments that could have shifted the complexion of the tie had they stood. That will offer Celtic a note of caution heading into Tuesday's return fixture, even with such a healthy lead in hand.
History adds further weight to Celtic's determination to close out the tie professionally. The Scottish champions suffered a painful exit from Champions League qualifying last term, going out on penalties to Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty. That defeat extended a difficult run in play-off ties for the club, who have now lost five in a row at this stage of the competition before this season's clash with LASK. Avoiding a sixth consecutive setback will be a key motivation as they aim to book their spot among Europe's elite.
The match kicks off at 8pm BST at the Raiffeisen Arena, with build-up coverage starting at 7.30pm. UK viewers can follow the action live on TNT Sports 1, while it will also be available to stream via HBO Max.
On the injury front, LASK will be without Ramiz Harakate, who is sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament problem, but otherwise have no fresh fitness concerns to contend with ahead of the visit of the Scottish champions. Celtic, meanwhile, are missing Jota, who continues to recover from a serious ligament injury of his own.
In terms of personnel, LASK are expected to line up with Jungwirth in goal, protected by a back line including Mbuyamba, Alemao and Andrade. Jorgensen and Danek are set to feature, alongside Ljubicic, Horvath and Bello in midfield, with Usor and Adeniran leading the line in attack.
For Celtic, Sinisalo is the anticipated choice in net, with Donovan, Carter-Vickers and Trusty forming part of the defensive unit, and Tierney also expected to start. Nygren, fresh from his opening goal in the first leg, is likely to feature again alongside McGregor and Baur in midfield, while Duran will look to build on his brace as Hogh and Hyun-Jun provide additional attacking support.
With such a significant advantage from the first leg, Celtic will go into Tuesday's fixture as firm favourites to progress. However, O'Neill's side will be wary of complacency, particularly given LASK's promising showing in Glasgow despite the eventual scoreline. A composed and disciplined performance in Austria would not only secure passage into the lucrative Champions League group stage but also help erase the disappointment of last season's play-off exit against Kairat Almaty.
Based on reporting from The Independent.