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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill praised Camilo Duran after the Colombian winger produced a superb brace to drive a dominant 3-0 victory over Austrian side LASK at Celtic Park. The Scottish champions took a major step forward in their push for a Champions League place before next week's decisive play-off second leg in Linz.

Clinical finishing puts Celtic in control

Benjamin Nygren gave Celtic the lead in the 26th minute with a brilliant curling left-footed effort into the top corner. Duran made it 2-0 before half-time with a stunning volley from 20 yards, then finished off a flowing team move with composure in the second half. The summer arrival's authoritative performance gave the Bhoys a comfortable 3-0 advantage from the first leg of the play-off.

Manager applauds individual quality

O'Neill was quick to look back on a testing European encounter before praising the immediate influence of Duran, who joined from Qarabag and topped the match numbers for both shots (six) and completed dribbles (six).

Speaking to TNT Sports, the Celtic boss said: "I thought it was a really tough evening for us. They are a really good side. We've got our work cut out, but we've given ourselves a chance. They scored a goal in the first minute, offside, and it took us 10-15 minutes to get into our stride.

"[Duran's] a brilliant player. We spotted him way back some time ago and tried to get him earlier than we did. I'm not saying he was a world-class player, but that was a world-class performance, taking people on and getting back. It was a great result for us tonight, but there is a long way to go.

"Last season, for most of it, you were wondering where a goal might come from. Here, we are able to conjure goals. Keeping a clean sheet was very important for us as well."

Captain calls for continued focus

Club captain Callum McGregor shared the same view and warned against any drop in concentration before the return leg. He said: "We are trying to get the club in the Champions League. Only halfway there but a fantastic performance. We have to finish it off next week.

"The group is good and doing well. We are always trying to work and get better. The confidence grows; it's only halfway. It's our job to create the atmosphere and bring happiness. It was important we try to strengthen. It's small steps, and we have a really tough game next week."

Return leg will require discipline

Celtic now head to Austria aiming to seal their place in the league phase, having endured penalty shootout heartbreak against Kairat Almaty last season. O'Neill's side will need to stay alert after LASK produced an expected goals (xG) total of 1.75 from 20 attempts, compared to the home side's 0.87. Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo and the defence are set for another stern test in next week's second leg.