Mika Baur's Incredible Celtic Park Debut and Champions League Aspirations

Mika Baur walked out at Celtic Park for the first time and felt exactly what he had imagined from thousands of miles away in front of a television.

“Incredible,” he called it. Twice. Just to make sure the word landed.

Now he wants more.

Celtic carry a commanding 3-0 lead into tonight’s Champions League play-off second leg against LASK, the kind of cushion that usually settles nerves. Martin O'Neill is having none of that. Nor is Baur. For the 22-year-old German, this isn’t a lap of honour. It’s a gateway.

“Playing in the Champions League is a dream for every young kid growing up watching football,” he said. For him, that dream is suddenly close enough to touch.

From TV screen to Parkhead roar

Baur’s competitive debut came quietly enough, off the bench at Tannadice in the League Cup after his summer move from Paderborn. Useful minutes, a gentle introduction, nothing seismic.

Celtic Park was different.

“The atmosphere and energy in the stadium – I knew it before from sitting in front of the TV and now to feel it in real life is incredible, such a nice feeling,” he said, still sounding a little wide-eyed at the memory of that first home outing in the 3-0 first-leg win.

He didn’t grow up in Glasgow, he didn’t come through the academy, but the place has already grabbed him. The noise, the colour, the expectation. This is what he signed up for.

No room for comfort

The scoreline from Glasgow suggests a done deal. O’Neill has refused to let that idea take root and his players are echoing the message.

“It’s difficult because we know they are a good team,” Baur insisted. “They made a good match in Glasgow, so we know what we have to do.

“We need the same mentality and energy to hopefully win again.”

The warning is clear: switch off, and the tie can turn. LASK showed enough in patches at Celtic Park to hint at danger. Celtic showed enough ruthlessness to suggest they can slam the door shut if they approach the second leg with the same intensity.

The pressure that comes with a 3-0 advantage is different. It’s about control, concentration, and resisting the temptation to drift into cruise mode. Baur sounds like a player who has no interest in drifting.

A new city, a new style, a manager who fits

Away from the pitch, the midfielder is still unpacking his new life. A different country, a different league, a different football culture. And a manager who has already made a serious impression.

“He makes us feel comfortable, his way to manage the team is different to how I know it in Germany, but he’s really, really impressive,” Baur said of O’Neill.

There’s a lot on his plate: training, games, learning a new system, meeting new teammates, wandering through a new city in search of an apartment and a routine. It could overwhelm some players. Baur sounds like he’s thriving on it.

“There’s a lot going on at the moment, but I really enjoy it, to meet new people and play with them, it’s a different style but I really enjoy it and to walk around the city, look for apartments, it’s a nice time at the moment.”

The domestic settling-in process can wait a little. Tonight is about Europe.

He has felt the roar at Celtic Park. Now, with a three-goal lead in his pocket and the Champions League within reach, the question is simple: can he and Celtic turn that “incredible” feeling into a group-stage reality?