LASK Overturns 4-Goal Deficit to Oust Celtic; Sabah and Bodø/Glimt Advance

LASK Linz erased a four-goal aggregate deficit against Celtic, winning 5-1 on the night to secure a 5-4 total victory in the Champions League playoffs.

LASK Linz secured a 5-4 aggregate victory over Celtic on Tuesday, overcoming a four-goal deficit to reach the Champions League main phase for the first time. Trailing 3-0 from the first leg in Glasgow and falling behind 4-0 on aggregate within the first 30 minutes of the second leg, the Austrian side produced five unanswered goals. Florian Flecker forced extra time with a close-range header after the clock passed 90 minutes, following three earlier LASK goals that had narrowed the gap. Samuel Adeniran provided the decisive fifth goal in the 109th minute, though he later had a penalty saved as the match ended 5-1 on the night.

Celtic, the Scottish champions, drop into the Europa League following the collapse. LASK had dominated the offensive pressure throughout the match, raining scoring chances on the Celtic goal even before the comeback began. The Austrian club joins Azerbaijan’s Sabah and Italy’s Como as debutants in the new 36-team format. The final entries for the main phase will be confirmed following four additional playoff second-leg games scheduled for Wednesday.

Sabah Secures Dramatic Extra-Time Win

Sabah, founded only nine years ago in 2017, qualified for their first Champions League main competition by defeating Hapoel Beer-Sheva 6-4 on aggregate. The Azerbaijani side entered the second leg trailing 2-1 and appeared headed for elimination until substitute Tellur Mutallimov scored in the final minute of regulation stoppage time. This last-gasp strike leveled the aggregate score and forced extra time. Gabon striker Orphe Mbina gave Sabah the lead with a header in the 101st minute, and Joy-Lance Mickels extended the advantage in the 115th minute to secure a 5-2 win on the night.

Hapoel Beer-Sheva finished the match with nine players after defender Djibril Diop and midfielder Eliel Peretz were both dismissed for second yellow cards during extra time. The Israeli champions had previously held a 4-2 aggregate lead in the 61st minute when right back Guy Mizrahi scored with a long-range shot from outside the penalty area. No Israeli club has reached the main stage of the competition since Maccabi Haifa’s 2022 campaign against Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus.

Bodø/Glimt Dominate at Aspmyra Stadium

Bodø/Glimt advanced to their second Champions League season with a 3-0 victory over NEC Nijmegen, resulting in a 6-1 aggregate scoreline. The Norwegian side took control just three minutes into the match when NEC goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz was shown a red card for handling the ball outside his penalty area. Playing on the artificial turf of the tiny Aspmyra Stadium inside the Arctic Circle, the Dutch newcomers were unable to recover from the early dismissal.

The Norwegian club enters the main phase with recent experience against elite European competition, having recorded wins over Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter Milan in January and February. Their progression ensures a return to the tournament alongside the two debutants. The draw for the 36-team main phase will take place in Monaco this Thursday, where UEFA will assign each club eight different opponents for matches scheduled between September 8 and January 27.