Since embarking on their maiden European voyage within the outdated Inter-Metropolis Festivals Cup some 64 years in the past, Celtic have scaled some dizzying heights and skilled some crushing lows.
Maybe by no means earlier than has the sense of sheer desolation felt fairly as acute because it did when the ultimate whistle sign sounded final evening in northern Austria.
On an event when Martin O’Neill’s facet merely wilted earlier than your eyes, a return ticket to the massive stage was ripped up and the accompanying £40million in prize cash slipped by the membership’s arms.
It was a catastrophic end result – one which beggared perception after such a commanding show in Glasgow six days beforehand.
How might a facet which was in such full management of a tie on the halfway level look so ramshackle and misplaced?
Celtic gamers are dejected in Austria as their Champions League bid disintegrates
It is a lot too simple to quote complacency on the gamers’ half as the rationale why Celtic once more crashed out at this stage. They did not initially play like a workforce that already believed the job was accomplished. They only stopped enjoying.
Not since collapsing away to MTK Hungarian in 1963-64 had Celtic surrendered a three-goal first leg lead. The fallout from this can be nuclear.
For all of the board got some credit score for lavishing £30million on 4 gamers, two of these – Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan – arrived too late within the window to take this match of their stride.
And the place are the others which O’Neill evidently wanted within the door sooner? The left-back, the holding midfielder that European soccer calls for, the extra artistic affect?
A membership that is nonetheless in revenue for this window did not get its act collectively in good time. And, accordingly, it will not be returning to the massive stage.
And so, the identify of LASK joins that of AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland, Kairat Almaty as sides to have knocked Celtic out in Champions League qualification in current occasions.
You possibly can lose a type of ties, perhaps two, even if you’re going about issues the best method. Whenever you chalk up six losses on the spin, you are not behaving like a severe soccer membership.
Few who watched this debacle unfold will ever have seen something prefer it. It was scarcely plausible.
When Callum McGregor discovered the web in 21 minutes, Celtic have been 4 objectives up on mixture and considering what Thursday’s attract Monaco would possibly carry.
Whereas Benjamin Nygren’s error allowed Moses Usor to degree on the evening earlier than the break, there was no have to panic.
However that is precisely what unfolded. Auston Trusty’s error performed an element in Robert Ljubicic slicing the mixture deficit to 2.
Camilo Duran seems to be pained as Celtic undergo in Austria
Extra untidy defending then noticed Samuel Adeniran internet LASK’s third and at that time Celtic have been working about with their hair on hearth.
With the Austrians utterly dominant and managing 31 makes an attempt in regulation time, the one marvel was that it took them till the ninetieth minute to sq. the tie with substitute Florian Flecker heading house a rebound.
Adeniran sealed a rare comeback in extra-time following one other elementary error and even had the posh of getting a penalty saved.
Celtic really began the sport pretty effectively. Baur’s cross had somewhat an excessive amount of on it for Kasper Hogh.
The German’s interception despatched Hogh in on purpose. A poor execution ensured the keeper saved comfortably.
LASK weren’t shy at making an attempt their luck from distance or shelling the field with crosses.
They have been left with their heads of their arms when Xavier Mbuyamba did not convert on the again publish following a flick-on.
O’Neill’s coronary heart would have skipped a beat when Melayro Bogarde’s strike took a deflection off McGregor and bounced off the upright.
Arriving simply earlier than the halfway level within the first half, Celtic’s opener owed every little thing to their tempo and invention down the left flank.
Hyun-jun Yang performed the ball again to Kieran Tierney and darted ahead. Having taken the return ball, he bobbed and weaved whereas assessing his choices.
LASK’s Samuel Adeniran celebrates scoring his workforce’s fifth purpose towards Celtic
Having accurately recognized that McGregor was greatest positioned to capitalise, he minimize the ball again. The skipper’s left-foot strike got here off the outstretched leg of Andres Andrade and beat Lukas Jungwirth in purpose.
Hogh appeared like eradicating any lingering doubt quickly after just for a nudge in his again to place him off.
With LASK trying more and more pissed off, Adeniran pulled a shot huge of the far publish then left one on Colby Donovan.
Celtic ought to have been coasting at half-time. As a substitute, LASK gave them one thing to fret about.
There was nothing fallacious with Cameron Carter-Vickers’ go to Nygren. The Swede went blind together with his tried go again.
Moses Usor might hardly consider his luck. A peaceful first-time end gave the Austrians hope.
For O’Neill’s gamers, it was a query of staying disciplined and sticking to their respective duties on the outset of the second interval.
But inside three minutes, Trusty acquired himself accomplished for tempo and energy on the left. LASK moved the ball into the central Robert Ljubicic.
The playmaker’s shot from the sting of the field did fly by a thicket of legs. Nonetheless, Sinisalo was too simply crushed.
Ten minutes later, the unthinkable inched ever nearer. A protracted punt up the park discovered Celtic’s defence disjointed.
Donovan gave Ljubicic an excessive amount of house to choose a go to Adeniran. To that time within the tie, the American had performed like his laces had been tied collectively. Not this time. His cushioned left-foot strike curled away from the outstretched arm of Sinisalo. Celtic have been in hassle.
Reo Hatate and Seb Tounekti have been launched earlier than Luke McCowan and Liam Scales joined them. Dane Murray later changed the stricken Donovan.
Sinisalo did effectively to show Sascha Horvath’s deflected strike huge then watched Joao Viktor Tornich’s level clean header flash huge.
When Adeniran’s strike thumped the underside of the bar, the ball hit Sinisalo’s again however stayed out. Celtic have been driving their luck.
Celtic gamers name for offside after Florian Flecker’s purpose for LASK
O’Neill picked up a reserving for venting his rising frustrations on the officers. Of larger concern was Kasper Jorgensen’s shot which flew narrowly huge. Celtic have been handing the ball as if it was a sizzling potato.
The clock had simply struck 90 minutes once they conceded once more. Discovering himself in acres of house on the left, George Bello crossed. Sinisalo did brilliantly to stop an preliminary header from discovering the web however might do nothing as sub Florian Flecker nodded house the rebound.
All of the momentum was with the Austrians in extra-time. Celtic acquired by the primary interval solely to concede a fifth 4 minutes after the turnaround.
McCowan grew to become the most recent visiting participant to make an enforced error when he gained the ball on the sting of his personal field and had his pocket picked. The ball was labored to Adeniran on the fringe of the field who beat Sinisalo all too simply.
The Finn saved Celtic respiratory by saving Adeniran’s penalty after Hatate had felled Krystof Danek. It solely extended the agony.
