Preview: LASK Linz vs Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

LASK Linz will welcome Celtic to Raiffeisen Arena on Tuesday night for their second leg meeting in the Champions League playoff qualifying round.

The hosts have a mountain to climb after the first leg at Celtic Park, in which Tuesday's visitors recorded a 3-0 victory.

Match preview

LASK Linz enjoyed a stunning end to the 2025-26 season, winning six, drawing two and losing only one of their nine post-split matches in the Austrian Bundesliga, leading them to a first-placed finish.

By winning the Austrian Bundesliga title for just the second time in their history, LASK Linz booked their place directly in the playoff qualifying round for the 2026-27 Champions League.

Dietmar Kuhbauer's side would have gone into their first leg clash with Celtic in a confident mood, having started the new campaign with four wins from four games.

LASK comfortably dispatched SC Kalsdorf 7-0 in the OFB Cup first round, before following that up with 3-0, 2-0 and 4-1 wins over Grazer AK 1902, FK Austria Wien and SV Ried respectively in their opening three league fixtures.

However, the Black-Whites failed to continue that momentum at Celtic Park, suffering a miserable 3-0 defeat, leaving LASK with a mountain to climb as they return to their home ground for this second leg.

LASK will look to draw confidence from aspects of their performance in the first leg, including registering 20 shots, two big chances, two narrowly offside goals and a higher expected goals (xG) than Celtic, with 1.58xG to 0.93xG.

Kuhbauer's side will also be boosted by having the home advantage, where they are unbeaten in their last eight competitive fixtures, although they have failed to win any of their last five home matches in European competition.

Celtic, meanwhile, are firmly in the driving seat coming into this second leg thanks to their fantastic 3-0 first-leg triumph.

Despite registering a lower xG total, three stunning strikes earned Celtic the victory, with Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran, who scored twice, all finding the top corner from in and around the edge of the box.

That win extended Celtic's 100% record at the start of the 2026-27 season, with the Bhoys emerging victorious in all of their four matches across all competitions.

The reigning Scottish Premiership champions have defeated Dundee 1-0 and Kilmarnock 5-1 in the league, as well as beating Dundee United 4-0 in the second round of the Scottish League Cup.

Despite their significant advantage and superb form coming into this encounter, O'Neill will be aware of the threat posed by LASK and will be eager for his side to retain their lead and book their place in the Champions League league phase for the first time since 2024-25.

LASK Linz Champions League form:

LASK Linz form (all competitions):

Celtic Champions League form:

Celtic form (all competitions):

Team News

LASK Linz have no fresh injury concerns for Tuesday's meeting with Celtic, although they will remain without the availability of forward Ramiz Harakate due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Despite suffering a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, LASK Linz created several chances and caused Celtic problems throughout the match, and Kuhbauer may opt to name a similar side on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Celtic remain without Jota due to a cruciate ligament injury, but the rest of the squad should be fit for selection.

First-leg goalscorers Duran and Nygren will hope to make the difference once again on Tuesday, and they should be joined by Kasper Hogh and Yang Hyun-Jun in forward areas.

LASK Linz possible starting lineup:

Jungwirth; Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade; Jorgensen, Danek, Ljubicic, Horvath, Bello; Usor, Adeniran

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Baur; Duran, Hogh, Hyun-Jun

We say: LASK Linz 2-2 Celtic

LASK Linz will push to get back into the match, and although we expect the hosts to breach Celtic's goal this time around, the visitors' attacking firepower should keep them in the game and ensure they progress as aggregate winners.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.