Celtic crash out of Champions League after humiliating defeat to LASK
Quick summary
Celtic were eliminated from Champions League qualifying following a heavy defeat to Austrian side LASK Linz.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceDespite leading 4-0 on aggregate, Celtic are humiliated by LASK as they lose the second leg of their Champions League play-off 5-1 and are knocked out 5-4 on aggregate in Austria to miss out on the main draw of the Champions League for a second successive season.
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What happened
Celtic's Champions League campaign came to an embarrassing end as they were beaten comprehensively by LASK Linz in a qualifying round. The Scottish champions, who have regularly featured in the group stages in recent seasons, suffered a humiliating exit at the hands of the Austrian outfit. The result represents a significant blow to Celtic's European ambitions and raises questions about their preparation and squad depth ahead of the new season.
Chance analysis
Celtic's early Champions League exit at the hands of LASK Linz is a damaging result for a club accustomed to group-stage football. Losing to Austrian opposition in qualifying is the kind of upset that forces a reckoning — with recruitment, pre-season preparation, or both. For Scottish football more broadly, the result further narrows the path for the country's coefficient and seeding in future European draws. Celtic will now drop into the Europa League qualifiers, and the manner of the defeat may sharpen scrutiny on the manager and squad decisions before the domestic campaign gets fully underway.
Celtic are eliminated from the Champions League in qualifying and drop to the Europa League qualifiers, raising pressure on the manager and squad.