Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is set to lead the club into the Champions League group stage after a 22-year absence. The 74-year-old will face Austrian side LASK in the second leg of the play-off on Tuesday.

O’Neill’s Return

After being rehired in October, O’Neill has already secured a 3-0 first-leg advantage over LASK. He recalled his last continental campaign in 2003-04, when Celtic faced Barcelona, AC Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F. The team lost at home to Barcelona, went down in Italy and Ukraine, narrowly defeated Shakhtar in Glasgow and took a point at the Nou Camp courtesy of John Hartson. O’Neill said, “I would love to do it… but honestly Tuesday I wish it would never come.”

LASK’s Challenge

LASK have a reputation for scoring in clusters in big matches. In the Austrian Bundesliga last season they hit three against Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg, Rapid Vienna (twice) and seven against Austria Vienna. Their top scorer last season, Moses Usor, netted 15 goals, while Samuel Adeniran was their hulking American centre-forward. The Austrian side will be without their usual goal-scoring boots in Glasgow, but they will be eager to overturn the deficit in Linz.

Celtic’s Recent Form

Celtic have improved markedly since last year’s Europa League campaign. New signings Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh, Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan arrived for a combined £30 million. The squad has already scored 13 goals in four competitive matches, including a 3-0 win over LASK in the first leg. The team’s defensive solidity was highlighted by a clean sheet from Viljami Sinisalo, and Camilo Duran’s left-boot goal in the first leg was a key moment.

The Road Ahead

Only once has Celtic lost a three-goal first-leg lead in Europe, and that was to MTK Hungaria in the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final. O’Neill’s side will need to maintain their performance in Linz to secure a place in the group stage. The upcoming draw on Friday will determine the group, and a Celtic spot would see O’Neill surpass Jupp Heynckes’ 13-year exile record.

The match will test whether Celtic can translate their home advantage into a victory on the road, and whether O’Neill can finally add a Champions League group-stage appearance to his legacy after a 22-year gap.