Overview
- UEFA's play-off draw on Monday paired Celtic with LASK for a two-legged Champions League play-off, with Celtic hosting the first leg on August 18 or 19 and the return on August 25 or 26.
- The winner advances to the Champions League group stage and its roughly £40m financial reward, while the loser will drop into UEFA's secondary competitions.
- Rangers and Hearts learned their Europa League routes on Monday, with Rangers facing Jagiellonia Białystok this week and Hearts drawn against Benfica in the third qualifying round.
- Hibernian and Motherwell learned their conditional Conference League play-off opponents, with Hibs set to face IFK Gothenburg or Gent if they progress and Motherwell potentially drawn against Freiburg.
- LASK arrive as 2025/26 Austrian league and cup winners but with uneven recent European form, a factor that sharpens focus on Celtic's qualifying record and has prompted requests to rearrange domestic fixtures between the European legs.