To stand any chance of landing a big prize, it helps if one is first in possession of a ticket.
Celtic cannot yet start to count the untold riches which would come via a return to the group stage of the Champions League. A taxing night still awaits them in northern Austria next Tuesday.
Yet, by investing in a fewer number of players who are evidently capable of playing at that level, the club has every reason to believe that a quick return on its £30million investment may soon be realised.
LASK, the Austrian double winners, had more brawn than you’d find on a construction site. They came here to battle and to bully Celtic and at times they succeeded.
But Martin O’Neill’s recalibrated side had all the footballing brains. They played more slickly and smartly than their opponents and were eventually deserving of the three-goal cushion they’ll seek to protect in next week’s return.
They’d to hold their nerve after a sticky start yet worked their way into a hugely commanding position in the tie. They can only blow it now.
Camilo Duran is hailed after scoring Celtic’s third goal against LASK
What a night this was for the veteran Northern Irishman as he sought to secure a return to the stage he last graced 22 seasons ago.
The most cautious man on earth, he’ll naturally take nothing for granted. But with a spare weekend to prepare for the second instalment, he’ll feel quietly confident that his side have given LASK too much to do.
The performance felt like the ultimate vindication for those supporters who have long grown tired of the hierarchy’s scatter-gun, parsimonious approach to transfers.
For all Celtic are still in the black to this point in the transfer window, the money lavished on Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh, Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur has certainly been a departure from the approach seen in years gone by.
Both Duran and Hogh made impacts in last year’s tournament, scoring five goals for Qarabag and Bodo/Glimt, respectively. At this level, you tend to get what you pay for.
How Duran underscored that point here. He scored two outrageous goals after Benjamin Nygren had handed Celtic the lead with another spectacular strike. What a player the Colombian already looks at £5.5m.
Baur sparkled until his legs could give no more, Hogh started the move which led to the third and Hassan helped to run the clock down.
With O’Neill’s old stagers scarcely putting a foot wrong, Celtic’s, collectively, were superb.
It just felt different inside the arena from a year ago when rancour filled the air. For now, there’s a truce in the ongoing feud between the rank and file and those in the heated seats.
Baur made his first start in beside Callum McGregor. Hyun-jun Yang and Duran were tasked with providing the width either side of Nygren and Hogh. Colby Donovan began ahead of Tony Ralston.
The LASK side was replete with men who resembled mountains. Samuel Adeniran, their hulking American centre-forward, needed the full attention of his compatriot, Cameron-Carter-Vickers.
Their manager Dietmar Kuhbauer had promised that his side would have a go. He was not bluffing.
The Austrians flew at Celtic from the off, netting inside 31 seconds when Moses Usor spectacularly lashed home with his left foot only to be greeted with an offside flag.
Benjamin Nygren opens the scoring in Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against LASK
Soon after, Adeniran was slipped in and dragged a shot wide. There was no flag this time.
Celtic initially struggled to get with the pace of the game. Nygren slammed a promising free-kick into the wall then Duran scuffed an effort into the arms of Lukas Jungwirth.
Visiting skipper Sascha Horvath evaded the attention of McGregor. Viljami Sinisalo was squarely behind Adeniran’s strike.
Whether opting for the ball over the top or playing through Celtic, LASK were getting in far too easily in the opening exchanges. Shutting off Celtic’s passing lanes, there was early frustration among the home fans.
Poor control cost Duran his chance after an excellent cross-field ball from Donovan. Andres Andrade got to a loose ball in the box an instant before Hogh.
Celtic were starting to thread some passes together. They hit the front midway through the first period with a sumptuous passing move. It began with Duran cutting in from the right.
Baur was composed under pressure and moved the ball out to Yang. The winger’s touch to bring in Kieran Tierney was superb as was the Scot’s cross.
Horvath thought he’d done enough with a clearing header. Nygren showed him otherwise. Taking the ball on the half-volley, the Swede’s left-foot strike from the edge of the box was unstoppable.
Celtic grew in stature. Donovan especially was starting to relish the occasion, delighting in sliding in to prevent LASK from advancing.
Yet he was mightily relieved when George Bello, LASK’s flying wing-back, got the better of him to centre. Adeniran netted with a header. Again, the flag came to the home side’s rescue.
Seven minutes from the interval, Celtic struck again. Starting to look like the player of old, Tierney intercepted as Celtic sprung a high press.
His cross was contested by Hogh and Andrade with the defender winning the aerial battle. The ball sat up perfectly for Duran who was lurking just inside the box. His left-foot volley was clean, deadly and always beating Jungwirth.
Camilo Duran fires home to put Celtic 2-0 up against Austrians LASK
Kuhbauer’s players looked stunned as they made their way back up the tunnel, two goals down having not done a great deal wrong.
Baur showed some delightful touches before making way for Reo Hatate. A dipping strike at the outset of the second half was just too central to worry the keeper. While Hogh had a more frustrating time of it, he fought for everything.
With LASK desperate to pull one back, it was incredibly open. McGregor thought he’d found the third when his shot took a deflection then struck the upright. O’Neill applauded his ambition.
Immediately, Usor wasted a fine chance to halve the arrears when he skied Horvath’s ball over the top. Usor was then denied by the outstretched leg of Sinisalo.
It began to feel like a two-goal margin would do for O’Neill. When the third arrived on 68 minutes, he must have felt like bouncing up the touchline as he did back in the day.
Hogh’s clever switch of play sparked a charge of green and white shirts into the final third.
Duran fed Nygren and made space to receive the return pass. When it arrived, he just didn’t hesitate and smashed a missile into the top left corner. It’s been some time since Celtic Park shook like it did in the seconds which followed.
With his players tiring, O’Neill used his full quota of subs wisely. Hassan entered the fray late and helped alleviate the pressure.
While Celtic will still feel some heat next Tuesday, they are now in the most enviable position.
