LASK manager reveals why Celtic came out on top against his side

LASK boss admits Celtic were more clinical but insists tie is not over

LASK manager Dietmar Kuhbauer believes his team created enough opportunities against Celtic but were ultimately punished by their lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

The Austrian side suffered a heavy defeat at Celtic Park, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second leg. However, Kuhbauer feels the result was harsh on his players given the chances they managed to create.

“We created plenty of opportunities, but we weren’t clinical enough,” he said. “We failed to take our chances and Celtic punished us. It’s frustrating because we could have got much more from the game.”

Kuhbauer believes the match demonstrated the fine margins involved when facing a team like Celtic in European competition. While opportunities may go unpunished in domestic football, he feels Celtic possess the quality to make opponents pay for even small errors.

He also praised the Hoops for the quality of their finishing, particularly the strikes that put them in control.

“Celtic were excellent with those chances. The first two finishes were outstanding, while the Colombian’s goal was also a fantastic strike,” Kuhbauer added.

“They were simply more efficient than us and showed quality in several areas.”

Kuhbauer spots Celtic weakness ahead of second leg

Despite the three-goal deficit, Kuhbauer does not believe Celtic are impossible to break down.

The LASK boss feels his team identified spaces that could potentially be exploited in the return fixture and believes Celtic’s tendency to drop deeper late in the match could give his side encouragement.

“We now need an exceptional performance in Linz,” he said.

“But we could see that Celtic leave some spaces. They dropped deeper towards the end, so perhaps they will defend in a similar way in the second leg.

“Whatever approach they take, we will give everything we have. We know it will be extremely difficult, but we want to challenge them again and hopefully produce a much better result.”

The Austrian champions suffered defeat in the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Celtic at Parkhead, despite creating several promising chances.

LASK boss Dietmar Kuhbauer believes the key difference between the two sides was Celtic’s superior finishing, admitting his team were punished for small mistakes.

He said the result was ultimately what mattered, but felt the scoreline did not fully reflect how competitive the match was.

Kuhbauer explained that mistakes which might have gone unpunished in Austria proved costly at Celtic Park, with two outstanding strikes putting the hosts in control.

He praised Celtic’s quality in front of goal, describing their finishing as excellent and admitting the Hoops were ahead of LASK when it came to efficiency.

However, despite Celtic’s victory, the LASK boss insisted his side showed enough to suggest the Scottish champions were not impossible to break down.