Celtic have been eliminated from the Champions League for a second successive season after throwing away a four-goal aggregate lead in the play-off round, beaten 5-1 by LASK in the second leg in Linz. The result sends them into the Europa League instead.
Celtic arrived in Austria 3-0 up from the first leg, and looked to be cruising through when Callum McGregor's deflected strike made it 4-0 on aggregate in the 21st minute. LASK then produced a remarkable turnaround. Moses Usor punished a loose Benjamin Nygren pass to reduce Celtic's aggregate cushion in the 32nd minute, before Robert Ljubicic and Samuel Adeniran struck from outside the box early in the second half to leave Celtic clinging to a one-goal aggregate lead.
Florian Flecker headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to level the tie at 4-4 on aggregate and force extra time, and Adeniran completed his brace from 25 yards to put LASK 5-1 up on the night and 5-4 ahead on aggregate. Celtic's goalkeeper, Viljami Sinisalo, saved a late penalty from Adeniran to deny him a hat-trick, but it did not save the tie.
Celtic lost on penalties to Kairat Almaty at the same play-off stage last season, after failing to sign a proven striker in time, and were eliminated in earlier rounds in preceding seasons by AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland, a run of qualifying exits that today's defeat extends.