Martin O'Neill hails 'world-class' Camilo Duran as Celtic cruise past LASK in Champions League play-off
Clinical finishes build lead
Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring for Celtic in the 26th minute with a sublime curling left-footed strike into the top corner. Duran doubled the lead ahead of the interval with a spectacular 20-yard volley before capping off a slick team move with a composed second-half finish. The summer signing's commanding display ensured the Bhoys secured a comfortable 3-0 cushion in their play-off first leg.
Gaffer lauds individual brilliance
O'Neill was quick to reflect on a demanding European contest before lauding the instant impact of Duran, who arrived from Qarabag and led the match statistics for both shots (six) and completed dribbles (six).
Speaking to TNT Sports, the Celtic manager explained: "I thought it was a really tough evening for us. They are a really good side. We've got our work cut out, but we've given ourselves a chance. They scored a goal in the first minute, offside, and it took us 10-15 minutes to get into our stride.
"[Duran's] a brilliant player. We spotted him way back some time ago and tried to get him earlier than we did. I'm not saying he was a world-class player, but that was a world-class performance, taking people on and getting back. It was a great result for us tonight, but there is a long way to go.
"Last season, for most of it, you were wondering where a goal might come from. Here, we are able to conjure goals. Keeping a clean sheet was very important for us as well."
Skipper urges continued focus
Club captain Callum McGregor echoed those sentiments, warning against complacency ahead of the return leg. He added: "We are trying to get the club in the Champions League. Only halfway there but a fantastic performance. We have to finish it off next week.
"The group is good and doing well. We are always trying to work and get better. The confidence grows; it's only halfway. It's our job to create the atmosphere and bring happiness. It was important we try to strengthen. It's small steps, and we have a really tough game next week."
Return clash demands discipline
Celtic now travel to Austria looking to book their league phase spot, having suffered a penalty shootout heartbreak against Kairat Almaty last season. O'Neill's men must remain vigilant after LASK generated an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.75 from 20 attempts compared to the hosts' 0.87. Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo and his backline will face another stern examination in next week's return leg.
