Celtic vs LASK: Champions League Qualifier Preview, Team News, Lineups & Prediction

Celtic vs LASK Linz: Champions League Qualifier Preview

Celtic are set to meet LASK Linz in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League 2026/27 qualifying tie at Celtic Park, with the two clubs renewing a competitive connection that dates back to their only previous meeting in 2014.

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic have made an encouraging start to the new campaign following a productive pre-season. The Scottish side have won their last three matches and will be hoping to maintain that momentum when they face the Austrian outfit.

For Celtic, securing a positive result at home would be extremely valuable ahead of the return fixture. The Hoops possess plenty of attacking quality and have also shown defensive improvement, meaning an energetic start and control of possession could be crucial to their chances of establishing an advantage.

LASK arrive in excellent form

LASK Linz have also enjoyed a perfect beginning to the 2026/27 season.

The Austrian Bundesliga club have won all four of their competitive matches so far, giving Dietmar Kühbauer’s team plenty of confidence heading into their trip to Glasgow.

However, the Black-Whites now face a significant challenge against Celtic. If LASK are to progress to the Champions League league phase, they will need to produce a strong performance against one of Scotland’s leading clubs.

Kühbauer’s side have plenty of attacking threat of their own, particularly in the final third. The bigger question could be whether their defence can withstand Celtic’s pressure away from home.

Match details

• Fixture: Celtic vs LASK Linz
• Competition: UEFA Champions League 2026/27 qualifying
• Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
• Date: Wednesday, August 19
• Kick-off: 7:00pm GMT
• Referee: To be confirmed
• VAR: In use

Recent form

Celtic: W-W-W
LASK: W-W-W-W

Player to Watch: Benjamin Nygren

Benjamin Nygren – Celtic

Benjamin Nygren could be one of Celtic’s key players in the opening leg.

The Swedish midfielder impressed during Celtic’s recent domestic cup victory, producing an influential all-round display. He contributed one goal and two assists, underlining his ability to make an impact both as a creator and as a goalscorer.

Nygren’s ability to influence the game from midfield could prove particularly important against LASK. If he can reproduce that level of performance, Celtic will have another dangerous attacking outlet as they look to take control of the tie.

With both teams entering the contest in strong form, the first leg at Celtic Park promises to be a fascinating Champions League qualifier.

Prediction

Celtic head into the first leg as the favourites, largely thanks to their strong attacking form, home advantage and greater squad depth. However, LASK’s impressive seven-game winning run means the Scottish champions should expect a difficult contest.

The Hoops have been scoring consistently in recent domestic fixtures and possess enough quality in the final third to trouble the Austrian side. Nevertheless, questions remain over how effectively Martin O’Neill’s reorganised midfield and defence will cope with LASK’s attacking threat.

Prediction: Celtic 2–1 LASK

A narrow victory would give Celtic a valuable advantage to take into the second leg without underestimating a LASK team that arrives in Glasgow in excellent form. A 2–1 Celtic win is also among the outcomes backed by Sports Mole.

Injury and Team News

Celtic will be without Jota, who remains sidelined with a long-term injury. His absence could reduce Martin O’Neill’s attacking options for the crucial Champions League qualifier.

Meanwhile, LASK Linz have no major injury concerns, with their squad reportedly fully fit and available for selection.

Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have met just once previously, with Celtic holding the perfect record.

• Matches played: 1
• Celtic wins: 1
• LASK wins: 0
• Draws: 0

Celtic will therefore enter the latest meeting looking to maintain their unbeaten—and winning—record against the Austrian side.