Celtic suffered one of the most painful nights in their European history after squandering a four-goal aggregate advantage to exit the Champions League at the hands of LASK. The Scottish champions were left stunned at the Raiffeisen Arena, eventually succumbing to a 5-4 aggregate defeat following extra time.
The collapse marks a significant low point for the club, arguably surpassing last year’s Champions League play-off exit to Kairat Almaty on penalties. Despite holding a commanding position, the team failed to mount a response during a disastrous second half, leading to a result that left manager Martin O’Neill facing intense scrutiny.
Speaking after the match, O’Neill did not shy away from the result. “I’m responsible for this one,” he stated clearly. Reflecting on the magnitude of the disappointment, he compared the defeat to the 2003 Uefa Cup final, noting that while it took him a long time to move past that loss, this exit was particularly difficult to accept given the circumstances.
“In the context of things, one was a final which it would have been terrific to win, this was a qualifying game which we should have been able to get through,” O’Neill explained. He acknowledged that the squad remains far from a finished product, admitting, “We know that we are a million miles from the finished article. That’s absolutely true. I think we thought that anyway.” The report also notes that before losing the tie 5-4, celtic led LASK by four goals on aggregate.
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