BEFORE THE FIRST LEG AGAINST CELTIC

Kühbauer’s Last Trip to Glasgow Was a Double Blow

Didi Kühbauer analyzed the opponent before departure at Linz Airport.(Bild: GEPA)

A 1-3 loss to the Rangers and a urinary tract infection: LASK’s successful coach, Didi Kühbauer, has negative memories of Glasgow from 2018. Tomorrow, against Celtic, things are supposed to go better—even if Kühbauer sees the “Hoops” as slight favorites in front of 60,000 fans. 

60,000 Celtic fans, a sea of green and white, and 90 minutes that will decide millions and soccer dreams—LASK’s match on Wednesday in Glasgow (9 p.m.) is going to be a real nail-biter! Successful coach Didi Kühbauer knows this too, saying at Linz Airport before departure: “It’s definitely not going to be quiet. Playing it down is an option, but I’m a realist and see their chances as greater than ours. So, for me, Celtic is the slight favorite.”

The opening minutes, in particular, could be the turning point in this “cauldron.” Kühbauer expects the Scots to come out aggressively, looking to score the first goal right away: “They’ll certainly want to get the crowd behind them. It’ll be important for us not just to clear the ball away. We absolutely have to survive the first 15 minutes, but I’m confident we can do it.”

In 1997, Kühbauer faced Manchester United
The first leg of the Champions League playoff isn’t Kühbauer’s first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition—with Rapid, he even played against Manchester United and Juventus in the group stage during the 1996–97 season. “Those opponents were really good back then and clearly a cut above us,” recalls Kühbauer, who unfortunately doesn’t have fond memories of Glasgow. 

With Rapid, he lost 1–3 to the Rangers there in October 2018—but that day was painful for another reason: “I had a urinary tract infection that day, and that hurt even more than the loss. Luckily, we then beat them 1–0 in Vienna, and they were left in the dust.”