LASK arrived in Glasgow yesterday looking for their first European win since March 2022. Since then, they have recorded four draws and eight defeats across single campaigns in the Europa and Conference Leagues, while they failed to qualify for Europe last season, or in 2022-23.

They shocked the established norm to take their second Austrian title last term, the first arrived two months after Jock Stein’s appointment as Celtic manager in 1965. That season, Kilmarnock won their only Scottish title, the reverberations in Austria in May were no less significant than had Killie done the same here. A season without European football helped LASK as much as it helped Hearts stage a title attempt in Scotland, but Salzburg and Sturm Graz had poor seasons; both were eliminated from the Europa League at the league stage.

Odds are generous on LASK taking the title again this term; they are joint-third favourites alongside Rapid. They have a degree of stability in their favour. Few of the title winning team have moved on, and they have started the league campaign with three wins, albeit against weak opponents.

Having the second game in Austria gives them a straightforward gameplan for tomorrow. A team who play on the counterattack in domestic football are unlikely to press Celtic too high tomorrow.

They will play for corner kicks, throw-ins and free kicks anywhere inside the Celtic half. Push men forward on these occasions and see how we cope with a physical challenge. Their job tomorrow is to get the tie back to Linz alive and hope to intimidate Celtic there.

Although this will be LASK’s most difficult game of the season so far, the same is true of Celtic. Hearts were humbled 6-0 on aggregate in Champions League qualification by Sturm Graz, providing an arresting comparison between Austrian and Scottish football standards. Celtic start favourites to progress, but as we know to our cost, that is not a reliable indicator of the outcome.