Celtic squander four-goal aggregate lead to crash out of Champions League in Linz

Celtic’s Champions League campaign ended in extraordinary fashion on Wednesday as LASK completed a stunning 5-1 victory in Linz — overturning a four-goal aggregate deficit to win 5-4 on aggregate and send the Scottish champions into the Europa League instead.

Callum McGregor had appeared to put the tie to bed with a deflected 21st-minute strike that extended Celtic’s aggregate lead to 4-0, leaving LASK needing five goals without reply to progress. What followed was one of the most remarkable collapses in the club’s European history, and a £20m-plus financial blow.

The unravelling began in the 32nd minute when Moses Usor capitalised on a loose pass from Benjamin Nygren to pull one back on the night. Celtic had chances to restore their cushion before the break but failed to take them, and the tie shifted decisively early in the second half as Robert Ljubicic and Samuel Adeniran both struck from outside the box to make it 3-0 on the night.

With the aggregate scores level, Celtic looked to be holding on for a penalty shootout when Florian Flecker headed home from close range deep in stoppage time to force extra time. By that point Celtic had long since ceased to function as an attacking force, and Adeniran delivered the decisive fifth goal to complete the comeback and seal LASK’s place in the Champions League league phase.

The defeat means Celtic miss out on the expanded Champions League group stage for the second consecutive season. The financial implications are significant — entry to the league phase carries guaranteed revenues in excess of £20m — and the result will intensify scrutiny on the club’s recruitment and squad depth heading into the domestic campaign.