Austrian side LASK completed a remarkable comeback against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League play-offs. After losing the first leg 3-0 in Glasgow, LASK won the August 25, 2026 return match 5-1 after extra time, advancing to the league phase with a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Celtic extended the aggregate gap to four
Celtic began the match in Linz with a three-goal advantage and moved ahead in the 21st minute through Callum McGregor. His goal made the aggregate score 4-0, leaving LASK needing at least four goals during the remaining time simply to level the tie.
Moses Usor equalised for the home side in the 32nd minute. Robert Ljubičić then put LASK ahead on the night in the 48th, and Samuel Adeniran made it 3-1 ten minutes later. Celtic still led 4-3 on aggregate at that stage.
A 90th-minute equaliser and an extra-time winner
Florian Flecker scored in the 90th minute to give LASK a 4-1 lead on the night and level the aggregate score at 4-4. The goal stood following a VAR check. With the teams level after normal time, the play-off moved into extra time.
Adeniran scored again in the 109th minute, putting LASK 5-1 ahead in the match and 5-4 in front on aggregate. LASK also had a penalty in the 115th minute, but Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo saved it. No further goal was scored, confirming LASK’s place in the league phase.
Confirmed by three strong sources
LASK’s official match centre records the 5-1 score, the goal times and the extra-time finish. Celtic’s official website confirms that the Scottish club exited the Champions League after a 5-1 extra-time defeat. Reuters reported the 5-4 aggregate result and LASK’s qualification.
Although the sources use different wording, the core facts are consistent. Celtic won the first leg 3-0 and scored first in Austria; LASK levelled the aggregate score in normal time, and Adeniran’s extra-time goal decided the tie. No additional claims from unverified social-media accounts or unsupported statistics are included.
League phase for LASK, Europa League for Celtic
Under UEFA’s qualifying structure, the winners of the Champions League play-offs enter the 36-team league phase. LASK therefore advance to the main stage after their comeback. Celtic, as a defeated play-off team, transfer to the UEFA Europa League league phase.
The Champions League league-phase draw is scheduled for August 27. LASK’s opponents will be confirmed after that draw. The play-off result does not give the club bonus points in the league phase; the new stage begins as a separate table with each team facing eight different opponents.
How to read the score correctly
LASK’s 5-1 win and the 5-4 aggregate result describe different things. The first number is the score of the return match in Linz. The aggregate adds Celtic’s 3-0 victory in Glasgow, leaving Celtic with four goals and LASK with five across the tie.
The match entered extra time because the aggregate score was 4-4 after 90 minutes. The away-goals rule is not used, so McGregor’s goal in Austria did not carry additional weight. Adeniran’s 109th-minute goal therefore moved LASK directly ahead on aggregate.
The decisive moments
The key sequence began with McGregor’s 21st-minute goal and continued through LASK’s three strikes between the 32nd and 58th minutes. Flecker’s 90th-minute effort erased Celtic’s aggregate lead, and Adeniran’s second goal in the 109th minute completed the comeback.
Sinisalo’s late penalty save kept the return score at 5-1, but Celtic did not find the goal required to recover. The result and qualification status are confirmed in official club records.
What comes next?
LASK’s eight league-phase opponents and match order will be set by the draw. Celtic’s Europa League schedule will be determined separately. Lists of possible opponents should not be treated as final fixtures before the official draws.
The verified outcome is clear: LASK won the second leg 5-1 after extra time, completed a 5-4 aggregate victory and qualified for the Champions League league phase. Celtic will continue their European season in the Europa League.
