Lask Linz host Celtic at the Raiffeisen Arena in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Play-off tie, with a place in the group stage on the line. This is the defining fixture of both clubs' European campaigns to date.

The aggregate picture looms over everything here. The first leg at Celtic Park on August 19 ended 3-0 to the Scottish side, meaning Lask Linz travel into this second leg needing to overturn a three-goal deficit on home soil. Under manager Dietmar Kuhbauer, the Austrian side will need a significantly more clinical and aggressive approach than in the first meeting, where they failed to register a goal. For Celtic and manager Martin O'Neill, the task is more straightforward in theory: manage the tie, limit Lask Linz's attacking opportunities, and avoid the kind of collapse that would let their hosts back into contention. A three-goal cushion offers considerable comfort, but knockout football has a way of punishing complacency, particularly away from home in a hostile atmosphere.

Form heading into this leg offers a striking contrast. Lask Linz have won every domestic and cup fixture outside of the Celtic first leg, including a 4-1 dismantling of Ried on August 14 and a 7-0 rout of Kalsdorf in the cup on July 25, suggesting the goalscoring touch is there against lesser opposition — the challenge is replicating it against a well-organized Celtic side. Celtic, meanwhile, arrive unbeaten across their last four competitive matches, with only a 2-2 friendly draw against AC Milan on July 25 blotting an otherwise perfect record.

No injuries have been reported for either squad, meaning both managers should be able to select from full-strength options. With the tie effectively needing a footballing miracle from the home side, expect Lask Linz to commit numbers forward from the outset, while Celtic look to manage the game intelligently.