Celtic hero fit to grace the Champions League - and new Scotland manager will have liked what he saw

It couldn’t be much worse than last year’s bleak experience against Kairat, when Celtic failed to score in 180 minutes. The hosts did nearly find a way of triggering anger among fans with a sloppy start that risked leaving them with a huge mountain to climb in Austria. All’s well that ends well, although of course it is far from done and dusted at the halfway stage.

Home supporters have been becalmed of late after some very acceptable business on the transfer front. It’s back to tifos quoting Wolfe Tones’ lyrics – “We’ve roamed the world round and round,” in this case – although one “Sack the Board” banner remained conspicuous. However, Martin O’Neill continues to prove a uniting force. This was more like the old European nights at Parkhead, occasions he will remember – and indeed often inspired – from his first spell.

Strikes from Benjamin Nygren and the exceptional Camilo Duran were so similar they might have been the same goal. Fortunately for Celtic they weren’t. A 2-0 lead at the interval is so much better than 1-0. As for 3-0 – Duran added another after 67 minutes - well, is it now game over? Although the visitors looked scunnered at the end, there was enough about LASK to suggest otherwise.

There is still work to do in Linz. A fourth goal might have finished them off but although the hosts came close – Callum McGregor also hit the post with a deflected effort earlier – Celtic will be more than satisfied with a three-goal cushion, particularly given the chaotic opening moments.

Chaotic start to crazy, unstructured match

A tight, but correct, offside call saw an opening goal for LASK from Moses Usor ruled out after just 33 seconds, with Parkhead still half hidden in pyro smoke from the away fans. Usor’s strike partner Samuel Adeniran then wasted a golden opportunity to give the Austrians the lead around 90 seconds later.

What a crazy, absorbingly unstructured match this was. Celtic were in fact 2-0 up by half time when they really ought to have been trailing inside two minutes. Usor thought he had given the visitors the lead with a rocket following a long ball from George Bello after just 33 seconds. He stared disbelievingly at the linesman’s flag, which was proved spot on.

Celtic were so very nearly speared again moments later by an unexceptional ball from the back that gave Adeniran the chance to test Cameron Carter-Vickers for pace. It was no contest. He drew away from his compatriot but his composure failed him when one-on-one with Viljami Sinisalo and he rolled weakly past the far post.

Celtic eventually settled and were 1-0 up after 26 minutes when a poor headed clearance from LASK fell at the feet of Nygren on the edge of the box. The Swede steadied himself before hooking a left-footed shot into the top right-hand corner of Lukas Jungwirth’s goal. Anything Nygren can do, Duran can at the very least replicate. The Colombian was in the right place on the edge of the box at the right time to pounce on another attempted clearing header after Kieran Tierney’s cross from the left. Bang! 2-0. Duran found the same top corner as Nygren with a left-foot volley.

Duo missed - but not as much as feared

Although Arne Engels’ name was still included in the match day squad on the back of the match programme, it was a case of wishful thinking. The midfielder has yet to make his debut for West Ham United but he’s very much theirs – a snip at £22 million some might say. O’Neill struggled to hide his disappointment on the eve of this first leg as he again sought to explain the reasoning in letting such an important player leave on the cusp of a tie that can make or break a season.

No blame can be levelled at Engels. He saw what happened to a teammate, Alistair Johnston, after he was pitched into the rough and tumble of a league game while attracting interest from elsewhere. Result? A leg muscle injury means he isn’t moving anywhere anytime soon, which also robbed Celtic of his qualities for one of the most important games of the season. He – and Engels – were missed, just not as much as many feared.

Colby Donovan came in for Johnston in what was another coming-of-age experience for the 19-year-old, with LASK’s ruled-out opening goal having come down his side. He recovered to give further notice of his gifts and undoubted potential. New Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli took his seat in the stand next to SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell and will have liked what he saw. Although only in the door at Hampden he will already know this is a problem position.

Donovan was one of several Celtic successes, with Duran looking increasingly likely to establish himself as a huge favourite at Parkhead.

Mika Baur also looked assured on his full debut. Industrious and tidy on the ball, he might not be a like-for-like replacement for Engels but he looks another bright addition to the ranks. He was given a huge ovation when replaced by Reo Hatate on the hour mark, with the Japanese midfielder – who has struggled for game time under O’Neill – also loudly welcomed onto the pitch.

Someone else was acclaimed: the perhaps unsung Sinisalo. O’Neill has mentioned wanting to bring in another goalkeeper, but the Finn might save Celtic a fortune. A stop from Usor after 60 minutes, which would have cut the deficit to just one, was a vital intervention. There was no question about the identity of the true hero of the night. Duran came up trumps again shortly afterwards with such a potentially priceless goal. The Colombian exchanged passes with Nygren after another flowing move down the right stemming from Sinisalo before curling into the top corner from just inside the box. One thing's for sure, he is fit to grace the Champions League if Celtic can get there.