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Celtic find value in 'special' Duran - but does ambition reach further still?

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Celtic find value in 'special' Duran - but does ambition reach further still?

BBC Scotland's chief sports writerPublished6 hours agoCamilo Duran's second goal of a breathless night in Glasgow told you much about the direction of travel in this Champions League play-off - at 3-0, Celtic, barring the collapse to end all collapses, are heading back to the big league.It also told you plenty about what they hope to do when they get there, the type of stuff they want to play, the ambition, the class, the ruthlessness.Taking your pick of Celtic's three terrific goals is not an easy feat, but that third one is worth some examination.From slow start to emphatic finish it lasted just short of 30 seconds, from Viljami Sinisalo in the Celtic goal, out to Colby Donovan at right-back, back to Sinisalo and out to Auston Trusty on the left side of defence.Trusty played a positive ball into midfield and then it started to happen.Benjamin Nygren moved it on swiftly to Duran, who sent it back Nygren, now running free into the LASK penalty box. The visitors had been carved open. Nygren played it back to Duran, who whipped it into the top corner.LASK are no dummies. Austrian champions. Cup winners. Martin O'Neill sang their praises in the aftermath and preached caution ahead of the second leg, as he was obliged to do. And you could see why.Time moves on but O'Neill moves with it as 22-year absence nears endLASK created a bucket of chances in Glasgow on Wednesday. If O'Neill's team had been off it on the night, they'd be in trouble in the tie right now.They did not beat a punchbag. They have a healthy lead, but a knockout blow needs to be landed in a week, as you have to imagine it will be.This was a heavyweight Celtic performance in attack. There is much work to do in defence, for sure, but they can do that work from a position of strength - with the whiff of an extra £40m in their nostrils.Celtic won only 10 of their previous 50 games in European competition, so this one was to be savoured.Duran lit up the night. Nygren scored his fourth goal in four games. Callum McGregor was exceptional in keeping Celtic on the front foot. And Donovan - the teenager in Alistair Johnston's terrain - was hungry and effective."Big, big heart" said O'Neill of his young right-back. "Boundless enthusiasm."When the watching Sebastien Pocognoli picks his first Scotland squad, Donovan should be in it.A year is an eternity in football. Twelve months ago, Brendan Rodgers was the Celtic manager and O'Neill was on an endless talking tour of every parish hall in the land, promoting his latest book and reliving the good old days.It was a time when Celtic crashed out of the Champions League to Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan; 180 minutes plus an extra 30 on top and no Celtic goal. Adam Idah started in the first leg. Shin Yamada made an appearance.In a shoot-out of lamentable quality, Celtic missed three of their five penalties and exited the tournament. Rodgers said something about the state of the pitch. He might have fired a cryptic shot at the board for the lack of investment. It's what he did. He was right, but, you know…Kairat Almaty!On Wednesday, Celtic scored more goals from distance than they did from the penalty spot that night. They rode their luck early on, but then Nygren launched in a fourth goal this season (three assists) following on from 21 last term (10 assists).It's said of Nygren that he doesn't do a whole lot apart from scoring and creating goals. What every manager in the world would give for such a one-dimensional creature.The Swede set Celtic on their way and Duran's double did the rest, a gorgeous volley - on the back of hustling and harassing of the LASK defence - and then that sumptuous team goal that rounded it off.O'Neill said the club has a bargain in Duran and the early signs are that he was an absolute steal at somewhere between £4.5m and £6m, depending on who's talking.The Colombian has intelligence and guile but he's also got the work-ethic that means every bit as much as his other qualities.In the 72nd minute, Celtic were 3-0 ahead, and yet there the 24-year-old was darting back into defence to help out, tracking LASK men until they were hounded out of possession.As much as his goals, his lung-busting effort to put in a shift made him a hero of the night for Celtic people. Honesty counts for a lot.It's easy to say that Celtic learned their lesson from a year ago and splashed the cash. They spent close to £30m and now they're getting their reward. It's never that simple.Spending is something that Celtic have done a lot of over the years. Spending wisely has been their problem. Splurging money on last-minute loans who, surprisingly, turn out to be duds.Forking out multiple millions on recent and not so recent failures - from Balikwisha to Barkas - has been the problem. The decision-making has been awful too often.Duran represents a return to form, a reminder of the days when they found value, mostly under Ange Postecoglou.We're too quick to write off players and we can also be too quick to brand them as stars in waiting. You should tread carefully at all times. With Duran we'll take the plunge - this guy looks special.Beyond offering a physical distraction, Kasper Hogh was quiet against LASK, but he will score plenty in the weeks and months ahead. At £11m, he, too, looks like money very well spent.'One of the best Celtic performances in many years'Listen on SoundsFrom O'Neill, there were wary words about assuming that this tie is over and also an unmissable reminder about the money Celtic have been spending on players."We're on the plus-side in terms of money," he insisted - and he's right. Celtic are in net profit on transfer fees. Four in, yes, but all funded by the sales of Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda with a few million left on top.O'Neill's message was that more needs to be done. Right, again. Now that the Champions League loot may be nigh we will get to see the scale of Celtic's ambition.They need another goalkeeper - not necessarily to replace Sinisalo, but to offer proper competition - another left-back, maybe another centre-back, a top-class defensive midfielder and a more creative central midfielder.They don't need all of this for domestic fights because they've probably already got enough to win the league and a cup or two.That's not the testing ground. It wasn't last year or the year before that or the year before that. For Celtic, with all the advantages they hold over most others in Scotland, the true barometer is Europe.Their supporters don't expect miracles, but wanting a piece of what Bodo/Glimt, Midtjylland, Freiburg, Rayo Vallecano and others had, or still have, is not unreasonable given the spending power that Celtic have.They made a sure-footed step in the right direction on Wednesday. A stadium that has rocked to the sound of protest has now returned to deafening praise. Duran helped get them there and will be pivotal in trying to keep them there.

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Algorithms amplified World Cup racism, says report

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Algorithms amplified World Cup racism, says report

BBC Sport correspondentPublished1 hour agoRacist abuse aimed at England footballers on social media was amplified during the World Cup by algorithms designed to maximise engagement and profit, according to new research.The activist group Hope Not Hate analysed more than 300,000 posts on the platform X (formerly Twitter) during the 2026 World Cup and found more than 5,500 explicitly racist posts targeting England players.The organisation argues that X's recommender algorithm pushed toxic content into millions of feeds, because posts which provoke anger and outrage can generate more interaction.Posts generating strong reactions keep people on the platform for longer and can ultimately help drive advertising revenue."X is actually benefiting from this hate," Patrik Hermansson, senior researcher at Hope Not Hate told BBC Sport."It drives engagement on its platform and it effectively uses its algorithm to elevate and show it to more of its users."They show up in the recommendation feed - they are not obscure corners of this website, they are front and centre."That's a choice it doesn't have to make and yet it does".Jude Bellingham was the player most targeted by racist abuse, while Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo experienced the highest proportion of racism compared with the total number of posts mentioning them.Djed Spence, who has converted to Islam in recent years, was also subjected to a distinct stream of anti-Muslim abuse, Hope Not Hate said.In addition, researchers examined how abuse gathered in the replies to individual high-profile posts on the platform.In its response to the report, an FA spokesperson said "all players have the right to play without being exposed to hateful, discriminatory and distressing content online"."We want service providers to take all of the necessary steps to create a safer life online for everyone," it added.Hope Not Hate said current attempts to tackle online abuse often focused too heavily on what happens after a racist post had already been seen.Players can block users, report messages and platforms can suspend accounts, but Hermansson says those measures do not address the way abusive content is amplified."X doesn't take racism seriously enough," he added. "We've seen it for a number of years now. There is no change or improvement."He said social media companies already had the tools to alter how their algorithms recommended content, particularly during periods when abuse is surging."It's actually a relatively small number of accounts and originating tweets that then get tons of replies," he said."I think it's entirely feasible to stop this, or a vast amount of it."Hope Not Hate said one option would be to downrank posts attracting large volumes of abuse, meaning they were recommended to fewer people.Before the new Premier League season the group called on UK's media regulator Ofcom to use its existing powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively and address predictable spikes in hate.They want Ofcom to outlaw the algorithms fulling abuse and also to designate major sporting events as "high risk".This would require platforms to deploy strict safety-by-design rules, remove abuse proactively and downrank rapidly escalating viral hate through algorithmic adjustments.In a statement to BBC Sport, Ofcom said: "We're pushing tech firms hard to make their services safer, and we'll be holding them to account if they don't."Ofcom also cited a new partnership with police and footballing bodies before the World Cup to tackle online abuse.Hope Not Hate collected posts mentioning England players by name or X handle, and replies to player and team accounts. They also collected posts mentioning Team England and other related keywords. Irrelevant posts were filtered out.The researchers then used artificial intelligence to sort the data, based on human-labelled examples.Different forms of racism were identified, as well as "far-right narratives" and hateful slogans. Samples were checked manually for accuracy. Posts were counted as abuse on a yes-or-no basis, rather than graded by severity.

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Premier League 2026-27 preview No 17: Newcastle

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Premier League 2026-27 preview No 17: Newcastle

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 17th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)As David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s chief executive, recently reflected: “This is a moment of change. Life is all about change but there are certain moments of punctuation and we are in one of those now”. With Eddie Howe having stepped down, applying a full stop to almost five largely successful years as manager, there is a new head coach in Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old German excelled during previous postings in Austria and Saudi Arabia but has never managed in England, let alone in the Premier League.Jaissle’s task is complicated by Newcastle, who finished a disappointing 12th last season, selling arguably their three best players – Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães – to Barcelona, Tottenham and Arsenal respectively this summer. Along the way the wage bill has been slashed and spending rules complied with as the sporting director, Ross Wilson, reduces the squad’s average age quite significantly. Four of the first five close-season signings were aged 20 or under. Small wonder Hopkinson keeps referring to “Newcastle 2.0”.Significantly, no one at the club is talking about Europe; the reality is that this season a top-10 finish would constitute a triumph. As Jaissle keeps reiterating, Newcastle have entered a “transitional” period. The way it pans out may well hinge on whether he can succeed where Howe failed and get the best out of last season’s twin attacking disappointments Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. With Wissa excelling in pre-season, there is cause for cautious optimism. Bazoumana Touré, Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, three of the new boys, also do not look entirely out of place.On paper Newcastle’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), are the wealthiest in world football. But the sport’s spending rules are based on the balance between squad costs and commercial revenue and Newcastle’s income is around half of that of some key rivals.They are now in a three-year “settlement agreement” with Uefa after breaching European cost control regulations and, in a bid to balance the books, have not merely sold Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães but implemented a policy of broadly signing players under 25 priced between £20m and £40m. “We were living beyond our means but at some point you have got to pay the credit card bill,” said Hopkinson. Meanwhile, the seemingly interminable wait for confirmation that a new training ground will be built near the airport at Woolsington and a decision as to whether to build a new stadium or redevelop St James’ Park endures.Opinions about PIF – they own 85% of the club while the Reuben family hold the remaining 15% – are varied. At one end of the spectrum lies the pressure group NUFC Fans against Sportswashing who, admirably, do not miss an opportunity to highlight Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human right record. The vast majority of supporters are united in disappointment that PIF officials have no direct contact with fans or reporters. Bonds with the fanbase weakened when the popular former minority owner Amanda Staveley was ousted in a 2024 boardroom power struggle. Moreover, many Tynesiders had hoped the takeover would bring significantly greater local and regional regeneration.Jaissle proved a serial trophy winner at RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli, winning two Asian Champions Leagues during his three year stint in Saudi Arabia. Hopkinson has described him as “a rock star”, while the man himself appears a high priest of pressing. Asked recently to describe his preferred style, Jaissle replied: “Front-footed, aggressive, vertical, high energy, intense and relentless.” Howe’s successor could easily pass as the centre-half he was until serious knee trouble ended his career in his mid-20s. Jaissle, who had played for Thomas Tuchel in Stuttgart’s youth teams and then Ralf Rangnick at Hoffenheim, immediately turned his attentions to coaching, beginning his new career as an assistant at Leipzig. Newcastle fans already delight in serenading him with choruses of “Oh Jaissle, I can boogie.”How are Newcastle going to create chances this season? It’s hard to imagine a Premier League side losing their leading four chance creators in one transfer window but Newcastle have allowed that to happen. The departures of Guimarães, Tonali, Gordon and Kieran Trippier have left quite the hole. New signing Bazoumana Touré needs to make a fast start.Newcastle now have a genuine sweeper-keeper in Lukas Hornicek, the 24-year-old Czech Republic international who has joined for £26m from Braga. Hornicek’s footwork is so good he alternated between keeping goal and playing as a striker until well into his teens. Allied to excellent shot-stopping abilities and competence in the face of crosses, that kicking ability attracted plenty of admirers as Hornicek impressed during the 2025 European Under-21 Championships. Hornicek has been dubbed the “new Petr Cech” in his homeland.Mason Miley, the young brother of 20-year-old midfielder Lewis, has impressed enormously during pre-season, shining during a narrow home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. His preferred position is as a defensive central midfielder. Miley joined Newcastle’s academy at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract earlier this summer. “Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle. Mason is the third Miley to have graduated from Newcastle’s academy. His eldest brother Jamie, 22, is another midfielder, currently playing for Hartlepool in the National League.Tino Livramento missed the final five weeks of last season with a thigh injury but recovered in time to be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and even travelled to the United States. Unfortunately for the right-back, he was back home before his country’s opening game against Croatia after sustaining a calf injury in training. Livramento has undergone “minor” surgery this summer and hopes to return to action in early autumn. Meanwhile, Lewis Hall was desperately disappointed not to receive a World Cup call-up from Tuchel. The left-back has been hotly pursued by Manchester United all summer.

Louise TaylorWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: The Guardian
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How 'outstanding' Duran helped Celtic beat LASK

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How 'outstanding' Duran helped Celtic beat LASK

Close00Champions League analysts Pat Nevin and James McFadden look at the "outstanding" impact new signing Camilo Duran had for Celtic in their Champions League play-off first-leg win over LASK.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsCelticFollow Celticclose panelYou are now following CelticUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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‘Really exceptional’: O’Neill hails Durán as Celtic surge towards Champions League

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‘Really exceptional’: O’Neill hails Durán as Celtic surge towards Champions League

A stunning double from the summer signing Camilo Durán helped Celtic open up a commanding lead against Lask in their Champions League playoff. Benjamin Nygren also produced a superb finish to send Martin O’Neill’s side on their way to a 3-0 first-leg win over their Austrian opponents in Glasgow.The visitors had two goals disallowed for offside and created chances throughout in an open encounter but Celtic were clinical as they continued their strong start to the season. Nygren has been at the heart of it with four goals and four assists in as many games and he opened the scoring in the 26th minute. The Swede readjusted his body to volley into the top corner from 20 yards after a weak clearance from Kieran Tierney’s cross.Durán scored an almost identical goal 12 minutes later, firing into the same top corner from the same spot after Tierney’s cross was headed out. The only major difference was the Colombian struck his volley first time.The former Qarabag forward netted his third Celtic goal midway through the second half, exchanging passes with Nygren after a flick from another summer signing, Kasper Høgh, and stroking the ball into the top corner from inside the box.O’Neill said of his double goalscorer: “He was exceptional. Really exceptional. He’s been fantastic for us since he’s arrived at the football club. His goals were terrific, his play was great. His running back, helping full-backs, helping Colby [Donovan] out on a number of occasions. It was just a magnificent performance.“And if he stays clear of injury, he’s going to be a really, really good player. Whatever we paid for Durán, I think he has paid his ticket by now. I don’t think it was an awful lot of money when you consider some of the fees that they’re talking about for the Premier League.“I think he’s a real bargain – £4.5m or something like that there. The centre-forward [Hogh] has given us a bit of presence there, which I don’t think we had last year, despite Daizen [Maeda] probably winning the league for us single-handedly. It’s nice to have that.”The victory puts Celtic firmly in the driving seat before the second leg in Linz next Tuesday and eased nerves among home fans after more transfer tribulations.Celtic went out at this stage last year, drawing a blank against Kairat Almaty after failing to sign a proven striker. The arrival of Durán and Høgh solved that problem but other signings were slow to come and the German midfielder Mika Baur was handed a start in his Celtic Park debut.The 22-year-old’s inclusion was necessitated by the departure of Arne Engels to West Ham at the weekend, which caused more anxiety among Celtic fans who have seen their team fail in their last five Champions League qualifying campaigns. The playoff defeat against the Kazakhstan side followed losses in earlier rounds against AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland in recent seasons.The Celtic fans were in full voice in the buildup but there were early worries. Moses Usor sent a brilliant volley into the top corner inside 30 seconds but was flagged offside, before Samuel Adeniran scuffed a shot wide when clean through.The Lask forward soon forced a save from Viljami Sinisalo with Celtic looking very open in central midfield without Engels, but Durán threatened twice from half-chances before Nygren opened the scoring.Lask had a headed goal chalked off for offside before Durán struck his first and Sinisalo made another couple of saves before the break.The Celtic captain, Callum McGregor, fired a deflected 20-yard shot off the inside of a post as chances kept coming in the second half, and Usor squandered two excellent opportunities.Reo Hatate came on to huge acclaim in what could be one of his final Celtic Park appearances before Durán came close twice from long range before his second goal of the night.The goal hero got another massive cheer for sprinting back to his own byline to make a challenge and Sinisalo continued to look assured as Celtic maintained their clean sheet.

PA MediaWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: The Guardian
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Hapoel Be'er Sheva earn comeback win over Sabah

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Hapoel Be'er Sheva earn comeback win over Sabah

Close00Hapoel Be'er Sheva fight back from a goal down to beat Sabah in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsUEFA Champions LeagueFollow UEFA Champions Leagueclose panelYou are now following UEFA Champions LeagueUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Man City join Man Utd in Kone race - Thursday's gossip

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Man City join Man Utd in Kone race - Thursday's gossip

Manchester City look set to rival neighbours Manchester United for Manu Kone, Aston Villa interested in Tosin Adarabioyo and Tottenham in talks over Man City duo.Manchester City have identified Roma's Manu Kone as a potential signing, with the France midfielder, 25, having already been linked with rivals Manchester United this summer. (Mail), externalAston Villa are interested in signing Chelsea's English defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 28, as a potential replacement for Ezri Konsa following Arsenal's deal for the 28-year-old England international. (Sky Sports), externalBenfica have also made contact with Chelsea over a potential deal for Adarabioyo. (Sun), externalTottenham are in talks to sign both Brazil winger Savinho, 22, and Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, 27, from Manchester City. (Athletic - subscription required), externalBarcelona are monitoring Harry Kane's contract talks with Bayern Munich, with the England striker, 33, having entered the final year of his current deal. (Mail), externalSunderland could shatter their transfer record by triggering the 60m euros (£51m) release clause for Sporting's Mozambique winger Geny Catamo, 25. (Teamtalk), externalEverton are interested in Como's Senegal winger Assane Diao, 20, who could cost between £50m and £60m. (Teamtalk), externalArsenal's Gabriel Jesus is not looking to move to Napoli despite their interest in the Brazil forward, 29. (Mirror), externalJuventus have joined Napoli in holding an interest in Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee, but both clubs must sell before being able to make a move for the Netherlands forward, 25. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), externalHull City are close to reaching an agreement with Real Betis for 20-year-old Spanish winger Pablo Garcia. (Sport - in Spanish), externalHull, Ipswich Town and Al-Ittihad are pushing to secure the signing of Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, 26, from Girona. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), externalArsenal are working on deals to sign Gibraltar winger James Scanlon, 19, and English right-back Habeeb Ogunneye, 20, from Manchester United. (Telegraph - subscription required), externalBarcelona have put attempts to sign Argentina forward Julian Alvarez, 26, from Atletico Madrid on hold and are exploring other options. (ESPN), externalAtletico Madrid are looking to beat Manchester United to the signing of Spanish defender Jorge Salinas, 19, from Racing Santander. (Teamtalk), externalArsenal agree £50m-plus deal to sign Villa's KonsaAl-Hilal target England's Kane - Wednesday's gossipListen to the latest Football Daily podcast

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Bodo/Glimt in strong position following first-leg win at NEC

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Bodo/Glimt in strong position following first-leg win at NEC

Close10Last season's Champions League fairytale side Bodo/Glimt look set to qualify for this year's edition of the competition after winning 3-1 away at NEC Nijmegen of the Netherlands.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Duran hits stunning double as Celtic edge towards CL return

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Duran hits stunning double as Celtic edge towards CL return

Celtic took a huge step towards a return to the Champions League with stunning goals from Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran.After crashing out in the play-off round 12 months ago, it was almost a nightmare start when Moses Usor fired into the Celtic's net just seconds after kick-off. But the Hoops were saved by the offside flag.They survived another scare before Nygren set the Hoops on their way, when he curled Kieran Tierney's ball into the top corner.Samuel Adeniran also denied by the offside flag before Duran smashed Tierney's cross into the net for his first Parkhead goal.It was an impressive strike, but there was better to come from the Colombian striker as he sidefooted into the far corner after a one-two with the club's other big summer arrival, Kasper Hogh.The pair, who scored 10 Champions League goals between them last season, proving their worth in green and white early in the season.Three up, but far from over. The Austrian champions carried plenty of threat as they try to reach Europe's top-tier competition for the first time.Got Sky? Watch the Scottish Prem on your phoneThe sides meet again in Linz on Tuesday. Can Martin O'Neill's side finish the job?1: LASK SCORE EARLY BUT IT'S DISALLOWED! Usor fires into the top right corner, but the celebrations are cut short by the offside flag.3: ANOTHER BIG CHANCE! Adeniran gets away from Carter-Vickers, races through on goal, but drags his shot wide.9: FIRST CHANCE FOR CELTIC! Duran turns and hits it first time, but Jungwirth gets down to make the stop.27: GOAL CELTIC! Tierney's ball falls into the path of Nygren, who curls his first-time effort into the top right corner.35: LASK SCORE BUT IT'S DISALLOWED AGAIN! Adeniran heads into the bottom corner, but he's offside.38: GOAL CELTIC! LASK clear Tierney's cross, but it falls to Duran outside the area and he smashes it into the net.51: SAVE! Baur's ambitious volley from outside the area is straight at Jungwirth.56: OFF THE POST! McGregor shoots from range and it takes a deflection off Hogh before hitting the woodwork.62: BIG SAVE! Usor is denied by Sinisalo from point-blank range! Another chance squandered by LASK.67: GOAL CELTIC! Another stunner! A sweeping counterattack ends with Duran combining with Nygren before guiding the ball into the net.76: SAVE! Adeniran shoots from a tight angle. Sinisalo makes another save to keep the clean sheet intact.Celtic captain Callum McGregor speaking to TNT Sports:"We are trying to get the club in the Champions League. Only halfway there but fantastic performance. We have to get finish it off next week.On Duran: "Two unbelievable finishes, we have seen it in pre-season. He is a real threat. The thing I love about him is he is always chasing back."The group is good and doing well. We are always trying to work and get better. The confidence grows; it's only halfway.Is the club going in the right direction? "It's our job to create the atmosphere and bring the happiness."It was important we try to strengthen. It's small steps and we have a really tough game next week."Celtic take a 2-0 lead to Austria for next week's second leg. Is the Champions League return on?

Sky SportsWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: Sky Sports
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Papers: Man City set to bid for Fernandez despite missing Chelsea deadline

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Papers: Man City set to bid for Fernandez despite missing Chelsea deadline

The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers...Manchester City intend to bid for Enzo Fernandez despite not meeting Chelsea's 5pm deadline last Friday - talkSPORT Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus is not looking to move to Napoli despite the Italian side's interest in bringing him to Serie A - MirrorManchester City have identified Roma's Manu Kone as a potential signing for their revamped midfield after selling Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders - Daily MailArsenal have decided they would prefer to allow Ethan Nwaneri out on loan rather than a permanent sale - Daily Mail Paper Talk is a review of the sports headlines from the national newspapers, every Monday to Friday, live on Sky Sports News from 10.30pm. Missed the show? Catch up on the latest news with the Paper Talk podcast.Ederson remains baffled as to why his Manchester United transfer collapsed, claiming his medical "went well" - The SunBenfica have made contact with Chelsea over defender Tosin Adarabioyo - The SunStream the Premier League with no contractMarcus Rashford will not put Manchester United under any pressure to give him his No 10 shirt back if he stays at Old Trafford - The Sun Jack Grealish remains 'in contact' with Everton as he attempts to clarify his Manchester City future - MirrorArsenal are reportedly closing in on the signings of Manchester United youngsters James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye - The Athletic St Mirren have agreed a loan deal for Liverpool right-back Calvin Ramsay - Scottish SunReal Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has hit back at Barcelona's signing of Rodri by claiming victories take place on the pitch and not in the transfer market after the midfielder snubbed the Galaticos - MirrorMourinho has also revealed he told Vinicius Jr that leaving Real Madrid for Arsenal was "not worth it" - MirrorBarcelona are reportedly ready to move for Harry Kane if his contract talks with Bayern Munich don't go to plan - Daily Mail

Sky SportsWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: Sky Sports
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Duran stars as Celtic ease to comfortable win over LASK

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Duran stars as Celtic ease to comfortable win over LASK

Close00Celtic take a huge step towards the Champions League as two stunning Camilo Duran strikes help carve out a commanding first-leg play-off lead against LASK.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsCelticFollow Celticclose panelYou are now following CelticUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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Celje fight back to earn draw against Slovan Bratislava

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Celje fight back to earn draw against Slovan Bratislava

Close00Slovenia's Celje fight back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw away against Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football

BBC SportWed, 19 Aug 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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