Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Martin O’Neill insisted that Celtic will not rest on their three-goal lead when they head to Raiffeisen Arena to face LASK in the second leg of their Champions League play-off.
Celtic put themselves in pole position to return to Europe’s top table with a thumping 3-0 win in the first leg, with Camilo Duran netting two stunning goals in either half.
Benjamin Nygren was also on target for the Hoops, who have since had six days to prepare for their trip to Austria in their quest to reach the Champions League proper.
Celtic have not played in the league phase of the Champions League since 2024-25, having been knocked out at this stage last season by Kairat Almaty on penalties.
That tie was goalless heading into the second leg, and despite Celtic’s dominance, they were unable to find a way through. This time, though, O’Neill said his team would not sit back and try to defend their advantage.
“We just can’t sit in there, and that’s not our intention at all,” O’Neill told reporters. “I feel as if we’re capable of scoring a goal in the game and that’s at least grounds for optimism.
“It’ll be a tough old night for us, but we’re capable. There are players who have had experience of last season, and some of those who have experience of the season before that, which was really good, so it’s really a mixed bag.
“Obviously, we’re going to try and get through if we can. I think anybody who witnessed the game last week would realise it’s a tough old game for us.
“But we’re capable, absolutely. We want to try and get through. We’ll throw absolutely everything at it to do so.
“I don’t think that we want to be sitting in, and I think that we can play. I think we’ll get opportunities. They will also get opportunities to attack and they are a formidable team.
“But we are also in good form and we’ll just give absolutely everything we possibly can to try and get through the tie.”
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 24, 2026
O’Neill revealed that Auston Trusty was available for Celtic after missing the first leg, but added that Alistair Johnston is set to spend some time on the sidelines.
Johnston, who missed most of last season with a hamstring tear, pulled up with another muscular injury against Kilmarnock earlier this month and missed Celtic’s wins against Dundee United and LASK last time out.
The Canada international had been linked with a move to Everton this summer, but after undergoing further scans on his injury, he is out for at least a month.
“There was definitely something there. I think the prognosis is sometime in October for him. Yeah [it’s a blow],” O’Neill added.
O’Neill conceded that Johnston’s injury had forced his hand to search for defensive reinforcements.
“Yeah. We need to have a look. If you consider that Kieran is essentially our only left-sided full-back, we’ll have a little look,” O’Neill said.
“But I’m not concentrating on anything at all until after the game. Regardless of the result, we’ve got some days before the transfer deadline and I hope we’ll be able to get some people in.”
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