Celtic thrash LASK 3-0 as Duran shines in Champions League play-off first leg
Celtic beat Austrian champions LASK 3-0 at home in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, with Colombian forward Camilo Duran scoring twice. The result puts the Scottish club in a strong position to reach the competition's main stage and secure significant financial rewards.
Celtic delivered a commanding 3-0 win over Austrian champions LASK in the first leg of their Champions League play-off in Glasgow, putting them in a strong position to reach the tournament's main stage.
Colombian striker Camilo Duran was the standout performer, scoring twice, including the finish to a flowing team move that took nearly 30 seconds from goalkeeper to net before ending in the top corner. Sweden's Benjamin Nygren added the third, his fourth goal of the season. Young right-back Colby Donovan also impressed, drawing praise from manager Martin O'Neill for his energy and effort.
Despite the scoreline, LASK created a number of chances of their own, meaning next week's second leg is unlikely to be a formality. Still, Celtic head into the return match with a commanding advantage and the prospect of roughly £40m in additional revenue should they progress to the main Champions League stage.
The result marks a turnaround from last season, when Celtic were eliminated by Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty after failing to score in 210 minutes of play and losing on penalties. This summer, Celtic spent close to £30m on new signings, including a fee of between £4.5m and £6m for Duran, which already looks like shrewd business.
O'Neill noted that the spending has largely been funded by the sales of Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda, leaving the club in overall profit on transfer dealings. He added, however, that further reinforcements are still needed - including goalkeeping competition, defensive additions and a creative midfielder - if Celtic are to compete at Europe's highest level.
