LASK's Title Defence: Sharp Warning Ahead of Celtic Clash
LASK’s perfect start to their title defence comes with a sharp warning from the man at the back.
Goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth walked away from Sunday’s 2-0 win over Austria Wien with another clean sheet and three more points in the bag, but his focus was already drifting north-west, towards Glasgow and a Champions League play-off that will punish any lapse in concentration.
Winning – but not fooled
Two games, two wins, no goals conceded: on paper, the Austrian champions have slipped smoothly into a new Bundesliga campaign. They finished ahead of Sturm Graz to lift the title last season and have picked up where they left off.
The scoreline against Austria Wien said control. The performance, in Jungwirth’s eyes, told a more complicated story.
“Around the time of the offside goal, we relied too much on possession and weren't mentally prepared for Austria's counter-attacks,” he said, speaking after the match. The admission cut through the usual early-season optimism. LASK had the ball, but not always the edge.
The keeper also drilled into the issue that will decide tight European ties: “We also need to be more clinical at the end; we might be punished for that against other opponents.”
Those “other opponents” are about to arrive.
Celtic on the horizon
LASK now step out of domestic rhythm and into Champions League jeopardy. A play-off with Celtic awaits, first under the lights at Celtic Park, then back at Raiffeisen Arena in Linz.
This is not the same Celtic frontline that ended last season. Martin O'Neill has seen his attack reinforced with Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran, with Haissem Hassan expected to add yet another option in the final third. The Hoops will come with pace, depth and a bench that can change a game in an instant.
The warning from Jungwirth, though he never named Celtic directly, could hardly be more relevant. Switch off in Glasgow, and the punishment will be swift. Waste chances over two legs, and the Champions League door slams shut.
Standards of champions
Inside the LASK camp, belief remains intact. Champions do not stumble into titles; they earn them over months of pressure, setbacks and recovery. Finishing above Sturm Graz last season has hardened this group, and back-to-back wins to open the new campaign underline that resilience.
Jungwirth still allowed himself a moment of satisfaction, even as he circled the flaws.
“I think if you go home with a 2-0 win as the favourites, you can definitely be satisfied,” he said. The line carried a goalkeeper’s pragmatism: job done, but not perfectly.
That balance will define LASK’s next fortnight. The margin for error shrinks in Europe. The possession that soothed them against Austria Wien cannot become a comfort blanket in Glasgow. The chances that slipped by on Sunday must be buried when the stakes rise.
The champions of Austria are winning. The question now is whether they can sharpen quickly enough to withstand a Celtic side built to punish every mistake.
