Celtic suffer stunning Champions League collapse as LASK overturn four-goal deficit

Hoops throw away commanding lead to crash into Europa League

Celtic suffered one of the most dramatic collapses in their recent European history as LASK overturned a four-goal aggregate deficit to eliminate the Scottish champions from the Champions League. Having won the first leg 3-0 in Glasgow, Martin O'Neill's side appeared to be firmly in control when Callum McGregor scored early in Austria to make it 4-0 on aggregate. Instead, Celtic conceded five unanswered goals, including two in extra time, as LASK completed an extraordinary 5-1 victory on the night and 5-4 triumph on aggregate. The result means Celtic will once again have to settle for Europa League football, while LASK move into the Champions League league-phase draw.

The scale of Celtic's collapse made the result particularly painful. The visitors had already survived several dangerous moments before McGregor put them ahead in the 21st minute. His low effort took a deflection before finding the net, apparently giving Celtic an even greater cushion. At that point, the Scottish side were four goals ahead across the two legs and seemingly had little reason to panic. But LASK's response was immediate and increasingly relentless. Moses Usor capitalised on a poor defensive pass to pull one back in the 32nd minute, giving the home side belief. Robert Ljubicic then produced a superb low strike shortly after half-time, reducing Celtic's advantage to just two goals on aggregate.

LASK complete remarkable comeback

The momentum had completely shifted by the hour mark. Samuel Adeniran produced a superb finish from outside the box in the 58th minute, sending the ball beyond Viljami Sinisalo and putting LASK within touching distance of a remarkable comeback. Celtic struggled to regain control as the Austrian champions continued to push forward, while the visitors increasingly looked nervous and unable to impose themselves on the contest. Despite the mounting pressure, Celtic appeared to have done enough to survive when the game entered its final minutes. Instead, LASK struck again in the 90th minute. Substitute Florian Flecker headed home after Sinisalo had initially made an excellent save, making it 4-4 on aggregate and sending the tie into extra time.

LASK's confidence was now overwhelming, and Celtic were unable to halt the collapse. Adeniran struck again in the 109th minute with another long-range effort, putting LASK ahead on aggregate for the first time in the tie. The Austrian side then had the chance to make the scoreline even more emphatic when Reo Hatate brought down Krystof Danek inside the box. Adeniran stepped forward to take the penalty, but Sinisalo produced a crucial save to keep Celtic's hopes alive. It ultimately proved to be only a temporary reprieve. Celtic could not find the response they needed, and the final whistle confirmed a remarkable 5-4 aggregate defeat.

O'Neill: 'Without a doubt' my worst feeling

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill accepted responsibility for the collapse and admitted the defeat was one of the most painful experiences of his managerial career. Asked whether it was the worst he had felt on the touchline, O'Neill gave a blunt assessment.

"Without a doubt," he said. "Naturally it took me a long time to get over the UEFA Cup final in 2003, but this was majorly disappointing."

O'Neill believed Celtic should have effectively ended the tie before LASK's comeback gathered momentum. He pointed to missed opportunities before half-time and the defensive mistakes that allowed the hosts to believe they could overturn the deficit.

"We should've been out of sight by half-time," O'Neill said. "We missed two great opportunities and then we gave them a lifeline right before half-time and then another one just after it. They came roaring back. That's my team, that's my responsibility."

The Celtic manager also admitted that once LASK scored again after the interval, momentum became extremely difficult to stop. Despite still holding a substantial aggregate advantage, Celtic were unable to regain possession and control for long enough to settle the match.

McGregor: 'We got what we deserved'

Captain Callum McGregor was equally damning in his assessment. Despite scoring Celtic's only goal of the night, the midfielder accepted that his team had failed to perform at the required level.

"We got what we deserved," McGregor told Amazon Prime. "I thought we were passive all night. We actually looked scared to go and win the game."

McGregor also suggested that Celtic's comfortable first-leg victory had perhaps masked underlying problems. While a 3-0 win had put them in an excellent position, he admitted that the performance in Glasgow had not necessarily been as convincing as the scoreline suggested.

"I don't think we were that good in the first leg either and we kind of got away with it," he said. "But then you're up 3-0 and think you have a chance. When you play like that, you can't have any excuse whatsoever."

The captain apologised to Celtic supporters and insisted the squad must now respond to one of the most humiliating results of their European campaign. Rather than looking for excuses, McGregor challenged his team-mates to demonstrate character in the remainder of the season.

A huge financial blow for Celtic

Beyond the sporting disappointment, Celtic's failure to qualify for the Champions League could have significant financial consequences. Sky Sports News estimated that reaching the Champions League league phase could have been worth around £40m to the Scottish champions through a combination of UEFA payments, the value pillar and potential matchday income.

Celtic would have received at least around £16m for automatic qualification, while the UEFA Value Pillar could have added another £14m to £16m depending on the club's position within the distribution system. There was also the possibility of substantial additional revenue from home matches, with four Champions League fixtures potentially generating around £10m in ticket sales if Celtic sold out each game.

That financial shortfall could now affect the club's plans for the remainder of the transfer window. Celtic have already spent around £30m this summer and had been expected to continue strengthening their squad. Missing out on Champions League revenue could force the club to reconsider how aggressively it can invest in new players.

The financial implications make the collapse even more damaging. Celtic did not simply lose the opportunity to face Europe's best clubs; they also surrendered a potentially transformative source of revenue in the process.

Celtic face another Europa League campaign

The defeat means Celtic will once again compete in the Europa League rather than the Champions League. It is their second consecutive failure to reach the Champions League league phase after they were eliminated by Kairat Almaty on penalties at the same stage last season.

This year's defeat is arguably even more painful because Celtic had built such a commanding position after the first leg. A 3-0 advantage, followed by McGregor's early goal in Austria, appeared to make qualification almost inevitable. Instead, LASK scored five times without reply and produced one of the biggest comebacks in the competition's recent history.

Celtic will now turn their attention to the Europa League league-phase draw, which is scheduled for Friday at 12pm UK time. Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace are among the English clubs also involved.

For O'Neill and his players, however, the immediate priority will be recovering from a defeat that has raised serious questions about their mentality, defensive organisation and ability to manage pressure in Europe. McGregor's comments suggested the squad knows there can be no hiding from what happened in Austria.

Celtic had the Champions League within their grasp. Instead, a four-goal aggregate lead disappeared in spectacular fashion, leaving the Scottish champions to confront one of the most damaging European nights in the club's recent history.