Celtic 3 - 0 Lask Linz: Nygren and Durán put Rodgers within touching distance of Europe’s main draw

Celtic have the package they wanted: three goals, a clean sheet, and a first-leg lead that changes the tone of this UEFA Champions League play-off. On Wednesday night at Celtic Park, B. Rodgers’ side beat M. Schopp’s Lask Linz 3 - 0, with Benjamin Nygren scoring in the 26th minute and Camilo Durán adding goals in the 38th minute and 67th minute.

The job is not done yet, but Celtic are in control.

This was not simple domination on the shot count. Lask Linz had 20 attempts, eight on target, and forced Viljami Sinisalo into eight saves. That matters. The scoreline says authority. The game itself says Celtic were clinical, better organised in the decisive zones, and carried the sharper match-winners.

How Celtic took control

Rodgers set Celtic up in a 4-3-3: Viljami Sinisalo in goal; Colby Donovan, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Kieran Tierney across the back; Benjamin Nygren, Callum McGregor and Mika Baur in midfield; Camilo Durán, Kasper Høgh and Yang Hyun-Jun as the front three.

Schopp went with a 3-5-2 for Lask Linz: Lukas Jungwirth behind Xavier Mbuyamba, Alemão and Andrés Andrade; Kasper Jørgensen, Krystof Daněk, Robert Ljubičić, Sascha Horvath and George Bello across midfield; Moses Usor and Samuel Adeniran up front.

That shape gave Lask bodies through the middle and two forwards to occupy Celtic’s centre-backs, but Celtic had the cleaner structure in possession. McGregor gave the home side control. Nygren gave them threat between midfield and attack. Durán gave them end product.

Nygren scored in the 26th minute, the first release point for Celtic’s pressure and the moment that forced Lask to chase the tie earlier than Schopp would have wanted. From there, Celtic could play with more patience, using possession not just to build attacks but to manage the rhythm.

Durán then scored in the 38th minute. No need to dress it up. It was the goal that changed the first leg from promising for Celtic to dangerous for Lask. Celtic had not just opened the match, they had opened the tie.

Durán makes the difference

Durán was the player who bent the game Celtic’s way. Two goals, six shots, four on target, and constant direct threat. He was not decorative. He was decisive.

The third goal came in the 67th minute, with Nygren providing the assist for Durán. That detail matters because it summed up Celtic’s best work: Nygren connecting the midfield to the forwards, Durán turning that work into goals.

Nygren finished with one goal, one assist, three key passes and an 8.7 rating. Durán finished with two goals and an 8.9 rating. Those are not empty numbers. They were the difference between a competitive European night and a commanding Celtic lead.

Rodgers also got value from his back line and goalkeeper. Sinisalo’s eight saves were central to the clean sheet. Carter-Vickers won six of his eight duels, Trusty added two blocks, and Donovan supplied three key passes from defence before being replaced in the 83rd minute.

Lask created enough to worry Celtic, but not enough to score

Lask Linz will look at the numbers and feel frustration. Twenty shots away from home at Celtic Park is not nothing. Samuel Adeniran had five shots, three on target, and won eight of 16 duels. Moses Usor had three shots, two on target, before Christoph Lang replaced him in the 73rd minute. Sascha Horvath created four key passes.

But the problem was the box at both ends. Lask had volume. Celtic had punishment.

The Austrian side also fell into offside too often, five times in total. That speaks to Celtic’s defensive line holding firm, but also to Lask being slightly rushed in the final action. In a Champions League play-off, those margins can be the difference between promise and frustration.

Schopp tried to alter the flow in the 65th minute, sending Alessandro Schöpf on for Krystof Daněk. Rodgers made his own change at the same time, bringing Reo Hatate on for Mika Baur. Two minutes later, Celtic had their third goal. That was the timeline that killed Lask’s comeback plan.

Kasper Jørgensen was booked in the 82nd minute for a foul, Lask’s only yellow card of the match.

Substitutions

Celtic managed the final phase sensibly. Reo Hatate replaced Mika Baur in the 65th minute, then Liam Scales came on for Kieran Tierney in the 76th minute and Sebastian Tounekti replaced Yang Hyun-Jun in the 76th minute. In the 83rd minute, Tony Ralston replaced Colby Donovan and Haissem Hassan came on for Camilo Durán.

Lask made two changes: Alessandro Schöpf replaced Krystof Daněk in the 65th minute, and Christoph Lang replaced Moses Usor in the 73rd minute.

Statistics

What it means

Celtic now travel with a three-goal lead and a clean sheet. In play-off football, that is close to the perfect first-leg position. Rodgers will still see the warning signs: Lask had eight shots on target and 13 efforts from inside the box. Sinisalo had to be excellent.

But Celtic have the goals, the margin, and the momentum. Nygren and Durán changed the tie, McGregor gave it control, and Sinisalo protected the advantage.

Celtic’s next step is clear: avoid chaos in Linz, manage the first half, and finish the job.