Celtic's Champions League PTSD: A Decade of White Knuckle Rides
Celtic fans have got Champions League PTSD from too many campaigns that have put years on them. Even the successful ones. In fact, even more so because of the successful one. They've been in this movie before and know it can be a white knuckle ride.
What happened?
A decade ago, they thought it was job done after a 5-2 first leg win against Beer Sheva – only to see their side go two down by half-time over in Israel and hanging on for dear life. A year later, the cigars should have been out after a five-goal stuffing of Astana in Glasgow. But when the clock hit 70 minutes or so over there, it was 4-1 to the Kazakhs and 6-4 on aggregate and everyone was losing their marbles, along with the fingernails and clumps of hair.
Why it matters for Celtic
The big question for the Northern Irishman is how to approach it. It's a tricky one. Celtic don't need to chase the game, of course, but that doesn't mean it would be wise to sit back and invite LASK pressure. The Austrians showed last week they are a handful. On another night Celtic would have come away from that one with a 3-2 or 4-2 lead and this second leg looking a lot different.
What comes next?
The Hoops will need to make some tactical tweaks though. Callum McGregor was superb last week in dictating the play and building he play from defence to the final third. But the skipper got a little excited at times and went beyond Mika Baur towards the edge of the box. It gave Celts the extra man in the danger area and it caused LASK trouble. McGregor staying put shouldn't be a problem and Baur can drop in as well to give the backline a two man shield.
Celtic's current form
The Hoops have one foot in the league phase but even a 3-0 first leg lead will have supporters feeling anxious. They have been in good form recently, with a 5-game winning run in all competitions, including a 3-1 win over Heart of Midlothian in their last outing. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 3rd in Premiership, 67 pts, 21W-4D-8L from 33 games, recent form WWWWW. Goals this season: 59 scored, 35 conceded (+24 goal difference). Title race: 3 points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian.
Conclusion
Celtic will need to play it cool, steer clear of the tumble dryer, and they will be home and dry. The big question is how to approach the second leg, and whether they can find the right balance to overcome LASK. With their current form and recent results, the Hoops are confident of making it through to the next round. But they will need to be at their best to overcome the Austrians.
