Celtic will host Austria's LASK at Celtic Park in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. The hosts are in excellent form heading into this game, with three wins in three competitive matches by a combined score of 10-1, including a 4-0 thrashing of Dundee United and a 5-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock. Martin O'Neill's side, which suffered a painful defeat in qualifying last season, are aiming to return to the group stage and boast a powerful attack: new signing Kasper Høg has already scored a hat-trick, and Benjamin Nygren has three goals and three assists in three games. Their home record is also a major advantage: the Celtics are unbeaten at home in their last 10 matches.
LASK, on the other hand, are facing serious personnel issues. In the last Austrian league match against Ried, three key players from the starting lineup were substituted due to injuries: captain and creative midfielder Sascha Horvat, the league's top scorer Samuel Adeniran, and right-back Kasper Jørgensen. Their participation against Celtic is in serious doubt. Furthermore, R. Harakate and A. Smakaj are definitely without the visiting team due to injury. These losses could seriously weaken the attacking potential and defensive resilience of the Austrian champions, who nevertheless enter the match on an impressive five-game winning streak.
Despite LASK being an experienced European contender and arguably the toughest opponent Celtic could face at this stage, the home advantage, the hosts' phenomenal form, and the visitors' personnel losses tip the scales in favor of the Scottish team.
