Celtic travel to Austria on Tuesday with a 3-0 first-leg advantage over LASK, leaving manager Martin O'Neill's side on the verge of securing a place in the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time since last season's absence.

The second leg kicks off at 8:00pm BST in Linz, with Celtic needing only to avoid a heavy defeat to confirm their passage into the competition's revamped group format.

LASK's mountain to climb

Dietmar Kuhbauer's LASK face a near-impossible task. The Austrian champions must win by three goals simply to force extra-time — a deficit that makes progression seem a distant prospect.

Yet there are reasons for cautious optimism in the LASK camp. In the first leg at Celtic Park, they twice put the ball in the net inside the opening stages — including within the first 30 seconds — only to be denied by the offside flag on both occasions. The attacking intent was clear, even if the scoreboard did not reflect it.

LASK have had a full weekend to recover and regroup, and Kuhbauer will be looking for a fast start. An early goal in Linz could shift the atmosphere entirely and set up a nervy evening for the visitors. Should LASK fall short regardless, they retain the consolation of a UEFA Europa League league phase spot.

The tactical dilemma for O'Neill

Celtic will not take this fixture lightly. O'Neill is well aware that LASK have nothing to lose, and the memory of that disallowed goal in the opening seconds at Celtic Park will sharpen the Scottish champions' focus from the first whistle.

O'Neill faces a genuine tactical choice: whether to sit deep and absorb pressure, or press forward and kill the tie early. The second option carries risk — but also the reward of effectively ending LASK's hopes with a single away goal.

Much may depend on Colombian forward Camilo Duran, who was decisive in the first leg. Duran struck twice either side of half-time in Glasgow, with Benjamin Nygren having opened the scoring, and he will be central to Celtic's plans should they choose to attack.

How to watch

The match takes place on Tuesday, 25 August, with kick-off at 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm ET / 5:00am AEST (Thursday). In the UK, the game is live on Amazon Prime Video. US viewers can stream it on Paramount+, while fans in Australia can catch it on Stan Sport.