Celtic collapses in Linz, crashes out of Champions League after 5-1 defeat to LASK

Celtic was cruising, with one foot and a half already in the Champions League league phase, and then it all fell apart over 90 minutes plus extra time. The Scottish side arrived in Linz holding a 3-0 lead built back in Glasgow, with Camilo Duran as the standout performer, and left the Raiffeisen Arena eliminated after a 5-1 defeat nobody in Scotland saw coming. Final aggregate: 5-4 for LASK.

The match had even started with hope for the Scots. Callum McGregor made it 1-0 in the 21st minute, and with that, the tie appeared all but settled. But LASK refused to give in. Moses Usor equalized in the 32nd minute, and from that point on the Austrian side turned into a steamroller.

The storm hit in the second half: Robert Ljubicic and Samuel Adeniran extended the home side's lead, and just when it seemed Celtic would at least advance on the away goals rule or aggregate score, Florian Flecker struck in the 90th minute to make it 4-1. That goal leveled the tie at 4-4 and sent the match into extra time.

Adeniran's extra-time heroics

If anyone thought Celtic could survive the extra period, Samuel Adeniran quickly put that notion to rest. The forward, who had already scored in the second half, struck again in the 109th minute to complete his brace and seal the final 5-1. The comeback sent LASK Linz through with a 5-4 aggregate victory and knocked Celtic out of the Champions League at the playoff stage.

For Duran, it was a bittersweet night. The player from Santa Marta had arrived in Austria as one of the standout names of the tie after his brace in the first leg, but this time he could not repeat that magic or stop his team's collapse. Watching from the field, unable to do anything as Austria mounted its comeback, was a stark contrast to the image he had left in Glasgow just days earlier.

Because here is the curious part of this elimination: it does not erase what Duran has been doing in the tournament. His two goals in the first leg brought him to seven goals in his Champions League career, a tally that puts him level with James Rodriguez and Luis Javier Suarez among the Colombians with the most goals in the competition.

Now, with the Champions League door closed, Celtic's European path continues elsewhere. The Scottish club will play in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League 2026/27, a stage where Duran will have the chance to carry over the form he showed against LASK and keep adding minutes and goals on the continent. The elimination stings, but the Colombian's European season is just getting started.