Celtic secured an important 3-0 victory over Austrian side LASK, taking a major step toward reaching the Champions League league phase in a night that also marked Egyptian winger Haitham Hassan’s first European appearance for his new club.

The Scottish champions built a comfortable advantage after Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Camilo Duran then took center stage, scoring twice in the 38th and 67th minutes to give Celtic a commanding lead ahead of the second leg in Austria.

European Debut

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill introduced Haitham Hassan in the 83rd minute, handing the Egyptian player his first minutes in European competition with his new team and marking his second appearance since joining the club during the summer transfer window.

Hassan had made his Celtic debut only days earlier against Dundee United, but the LASK match offered him a different experience on the European stage. His opportunity came late in the game, with Celtic already in complete control after establishing a three-goal lead.

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A Step Toward the Dream

Although his brief appearance did not produce a goal or an assist, it represented another important milestone at the start of Hassan’s journey with the Scottish champions. The Egyptian winger joined Celtic from Spanish club Real Oviedo on a four-year contract running until the summer of 2030.

Celtic are now strongly positioned to continue their Champions League campaign when they face LASK in the return leg on Tuesday, August 25. Meanwhile, Hassan will be hoping for a bigger role and more playing time in the coming weeks, both domestically and in Europe.

For Celtic, the victory brought them closer to their European target. For Haitham Hassan, those few minutes on the pitch may have been a small moment in the match, but they could represent the beginning of a much bigger dream on the European stage.