Countdown to kick-off: Cameron Carter-Vickers interview
Celtic will hope to take a big step towards this season’s UEFA Champions League when LASK of Austria visit Celtic Park on Wednesday night (August 19, KO: 8pm) in the first leg of the play-off round.
After missing out on UCL qualification last season, reaching the league phase of Europe’s premier competition would cap off a great start to the season for Celtic and would provide an opportunity for the Bhoys to test themselves on the biggest stage.
Speaking to the Official Matchday Programme ahead of this week’s match, Hoops defender Cameron Carter-Vickers said that the disappointment of not reaching the UCL last season will be a motivating factor come kick-off on Wednesday night.
He said: “The season before last we had a pretty good run in the competition and that’s something we want to try and recreate. Obviously last year was a disappointment.
“I think every player wants to play at the highest level possible and challenge themselves against the best teams and players in the world. As a group, it’s definitely something that we want.
"The LASK match will be a tough test for us. They are Austrian champions, they’re a strong team.
“They’re physically very good I believe so it’ll be a difficult tie, but it’s something that we’re looking forward to and a challenge we’re ready to take on.
“We’re only a few games in this season and you never want to get ahead of yourself. But I think we’ve started the season fairly strong, though there’s obviously a lot that we can improve on.
“I think our football can definitely become slicker and more cohesive, and I think that naturally happens as the players play more with each other.
“You always want to improve, and that’s no different this season. Last season wasn’t as smooth as we all wanted it to be or as smooth as it’s maybe been in previous years, but this season we want to improve on where we were last season and try to take it to another level.”
You can read the Cameron Carter-Vickers interview in full in Wednesday's match programme
GET LASK MATCH TICKETS Fixtures Celtic Vs. LASK - Wed, Aug 19th 2026, 20:00