{"id":8748,"date":"2026-08-26T12:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/?p=8748"},"modified":"2026-08-26T12:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:01:14","slug":"lask-5-1-celtic-champions-league-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/lask-5-1-celtic-champions-league-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"LASK 5-1 Celtic: Historic Champions League Comeback\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LASK beat Celtic 5-1 after extra time to complete a stunning 5-4 aggregate comeback and reach the Champions League as the Hoops drop into the Europa League. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtic travelled to Austria on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, protecting a commanding 3-0 first-leg advantage. Their position appeared even stronger when captain Callum McGregor scored after 21 minutes, extending the aggregate lead to four goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What followed was a dramatic collapse. Moses Usor equalised on the night before Robert Ljubicic, Samuel Adeniran and Florian Flecker forced extra time. Adeniran then struck again to complete one of LASK\u2019s greatest European comebacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGregor Gives Celtic the Perfect Start<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

McGregor delivered what appeared to be the decisive moment. After Yang Hyun-jun combined with Kieran Tierney, the Celtic captain met the move with a first-time shot that deflected past the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Celtic\u2019s advantage encouraged caution instead of further attacking ambition, allowing LASK to keep believing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usor provided the hosts\u2019 first breakthrough in the 32nd minute. He punished a loose Benjamin Nygren pass, levelling the match and giving the Austrian side hope before half-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LASK Transform the Tie After Half-Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The momentum changed completely after the interval. Three minutes into the second half, Usor overpowered Auston Trusty before finding Ljubicic, who drove a powerful effort home from approximately 20 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adeniran added LASK\u2019s third in the 58th minute with an outstanding first-time strike from 25 yards that curled into the top corner. Celtic\u2019s four-goal aggregate cushion had been reduced to one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LASK continued attacking while Celtic retreated. Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo saved well from Sascha Horvath and Jo\u00e3o Victor Tornich headed narrowly wide. Adeniran also struck the underside of the crossbar as the pressure intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manager Martin O\u2019Neill responded by introducing Liam Scales and Dane Murray, leaving Celtic with four central defenders alongside Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers. The strategy protected the penalty area temporarily but removed much of the visitors\u2019 attacking threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtic were seconds away from surviving when Sinisalo saved Tornich\u2019s stoppage-time header. Flecker reacted quickest to the rebound, heading home LASK\u2019s fourth and taking the tie into extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Celtic
Celtic and LASK players compete during their UEFA Champions League play-off clash. PHOTO: BBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adeniran Delivers the Decisive Goal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Celtic briefly stabilised during the opening extra-time period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 109th minute, Adeniran dispossessed Luke McCowan and fired another long-range finish beyond Sinisalo. The goal put LASK ahead on aggregate for the first time and completed his decisive two-goal performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinisalo later denied Adeniran a hat-trick by saving his penalty, but Celtic could not produce the goal required to force a shootout. LASK protected their advantage and celebrated an extraordinary qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Celtic Collapsed in Austria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Celtic\u2019s failure was not caused by a single mistake. Careless possession allowed Usor to score the first LASK goal, while declining midfield control repeatedly exposed the defence after half-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visitors became increasingly passive and stopped offering a reliable counterattacking outlet. Defending deeper invited further pressure, and the introduction of additional defenders did not solve the underlying inability to retain possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtic also struggled physically during the closing stages. Carter-Vickers battled cramp before being replaced, while LASK continued winning loose balls and shooting confidently from distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guardian match report<\/a> described the defeat as one of Celtic\u2019s lowest European moments and estimated that missing the league stage represented a financial blow exceeding \u00a320 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Result Means<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

LASK advance to the Champions League league phase after overturning what appeared to be an impossible deficit. Their intensity, courage and shooting quality earned a historic result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtic miss the Champions League for a second consecutive season and will instead enter the Europa League. Questions will surround game management, squad planning and the decision to sell midfielder Arne Engels shortly before the first leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The manner of elimination will hurt as much as the outcome. Celtic held a four-goal aggregate advantage during the second leg yet could not control the match when LASK increased their tempo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Celtic
Celtic player celebrates after scoring during a UEFA Champions League match. Courtesy picture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Betting Insights for Ugandan Fans<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ugandan supporters aged 25 and above may review European<\/a> football markets and current odds on Bangbet Uganda<\/a>. This comeback demonstrates why first-leg results, favourites and live match positions never guarantee an outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambling involves financial risk and should remain entertainment, not income. Avoid chasing losses or wagering essential funds. If betting becomes difficult to control, stop and consult Bangbet\u2019s Responsible Gambling guidance<\/a> or call 0768 677 777 or 0748 655 151.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

LASK deserved qualification<\/a> because they continued attacking despite facing a four-goal aggregate deficit. Usor sparked the revival, Ljubicic accelerated it, Flecker forced extra time, and Adeniran supplied the decisive quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtic\u2019s defensive retreat and loss of midfield authority turned a comfortable position into a damaging European exit. For LASK, the night represented resilience and history; for Celtic, it became an unforgettable warning about assuming any knockout tie is truly finished.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LASK beat Celtic 5-1 after extra time to complete a stunning 5-4 aggregate comeback and reach the Champions League as the Hoops drop into the Europa League.  Celtic travelled to Austria on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, protecting a commanding 3-0 first-leg advantage. Their position appeared even stronger when captain Callum McGregor scored after 21 minutes, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":8746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[135,122,162,163,108,105,129,83],"class_list":["post-8748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football-news","tag-bangbet","tag-bangbet-uganda","tag-celtic","tag-champions-league","tag-football","tag-football-news","tag-football-odds","tag-sports-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8749,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748\/revisions\/8749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ug\/temps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}