Match Pictures | Matches: 2025 – 2026
Trivia
- KO: 15:30; Sunday
- League Cup quarter-final, Viaplay Cup
- Glasgow Derby!
- Partick Thistle are in the second tier. Their manager is ex-Celt Mark Wilson, and their striker is ex-Celt Tony Watt.
- Tounekti scored his debut goal in a great worked goal with Iheanacho. Tierney finally manages to play for 90 mins. Yang scores too to build up his confidence.
- Match comes in the wake of growing disenchantment with the Celtic board. A number of Celtic fans protesting through the match throwing scrunched up paper balls on to the pitch!
- Celtic fans eager for change in the boardroom urged to “back off” by former board member Lord Willie Haughey, who says they have been spoiled by a decade of success. The response from many in the support was as expected!
- Semifinal draw: Celtic v Sevco & St Mirren v Motherwell in the other leg.
- Celtic announced a profit of £33.9m in latest accounts and have a cash reserve of £77.3m. [Report below]
- Ex-Celtic coach Damien Duff is the leading contender to take the Republic of Ireland job after leaving Shelbourne in June.
- Celtic will not entertain Alistair Johnston leaving Glasgow anytime soon with a January sale off the cards. He was seen at a Newcastle Champions League match during the week.
- Chief executive Michael Nicholson insists the Celtic board are shouldering the blame for the shock Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty, saying those running the club “commit to improving going forward”.
- Celtic newly developed Barrowfield open.
- Celtic store Argyle St to close but new Celtic store to open on 24 September at 12-18 Queen Street.
- A new Celtic Fans Collective pressure group formed with the stated aim of removing club chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson from the board.
- Reports: Celtic could be bracing themselves for offers from EPL for Alistair Johnston after he said it would be a dream of any player to move to EPL. Johnstone was seen at Newcastle’s CL game in midweek.
- Daily Record claiming that Brendan Rodgers, who worked with Raheem Sterling at Liverpool, could be pivotal factor in enticing him to leave Chelsea for Celtic in next transfer windows. Most likely just some MSM hack fantasy story!
Summary
BBC: ‘Tounekti a joy to play with’
FT: Partick Thistle 0-4 Celtic
Player of the match Sebastian Tounekti tells Premier Sports: “I would like to contribute with goals and assists – it was a good start today.
“I’m happy about that and hopefully I can make more in the future. It’s good to get going.”
Kieran Tierney was full of praise for his new team-mate, saying: “It feels like he’s been here ages.
“The debut at Killie was unbelievable – that’s a tough place to go and you see how well he’s settled in.
“It’s credit to him and how he’s adapted. It’s the first time I’ve started with him and it was a joy to play with him.”
Pat Bonner Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Radio Scotland Goals, key players on the pitch. Brendan Rodgers will be very, very pleased. He’ll be very pleased with the performance of his new winger, Tounetki, on the left. Very creative, got his goal. He showed very good touches. Belgrade will be a tough game. They’ll have to be at their best to bring back a result. Rodgers was able to make changes and that should help them.
Good performance, Tounekti the stand out
Still look decidedly ropey at the back
Great backing from the fans
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: “I was really pleased with the performance and the result. “You have to be really professional and we were. The players passed it well and created some really good moments in the game. “We’re building. It’s hard to go through nine months in the season being hot. With everything going on in the window it’s taken some time for players to come in. I can see the fluency and the rhythm of the team growing each day.” On Sebastian Tounekti: “He’s the type of player that Celtic supporters love. He’s good on one-v-one. He can go either side, run in behind without the ball and he works very hard. It was nice for him get the goal and I’m really pleased for him. “He’s what we want and that was the pleasing aspect today. We had variety in our performance and how we attacked the game.” Celtic face Rangers in the semi-final: “Our objective is to get to the final. Both teams will be giving everything to get through but there’s a lot of football before that.” On Europe: “We’re feeling good. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Johnny Kenny are not in the squad and working hard every day but they’ll get their moments. The squad is building in our performance each day in training and we’re taking that into our games.”
Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson tells BBC Scotland: “Disappointed in the final result but a lot of people would have expected that. A lot to learn from it when you come up against that level of opposition. “Disappointed to lose the goals in the fashion we did, I thought they were poor, and the timings as well. “We sat in too deep at times. I wanted us to be brave and put Celtic under more pressure but the tide was going one way. “A team like Celtic will play through you but I was pleased at the players reaction in the second half and how they stuck at it. “I was always taking this game in isolation as we’re never going to come up against opposition like this in our league. We’ll stick to our process and hopefully we’ll see the fruits of that in the Championship. “It’s been a long time since Firhill has been packed like that and it means so much to the club.”
TheEG of KDS:
Nicely done on a tattie field of a pitch, which is the only thing stopping me from not giving CVC and Scales the benefit of the doubt for their truly odd decision-making at times. Tounetki has had a very good start, and he looks dangerous every time he goes forward.
Yes, it was only Patrick Thistle, but that was the first game this season where I came away feeling that we’d actually played some decent football. Still at a loss to explain Nygren, he floats about and is a bit crap and yet still comes away with two assists.
Was happy for Yang getting his goal after all the nonsense he’s had to endure at the hands of the incompetents in charge (and btw, protest was great – my only note is can we add Gerry McCulloch to the rogues’ gallery like we did during the Covid year?)
DC1888 @dconn1888.bsky.social · 4m Strange game,easy win,but some really sloppy play at the back which will be punished by better teams,thistle only caused problems when we started messing around at the back.
Mike bhoy of Bluesky:
Positives from today:
Tounekti
Iheanacho’s assist
Balikwisha not giving up
McCowan scoring
KT playing 90 mins
Remarkably another clean sheet
Inside The SPFL @AgentScotland · Sep 14 Celtic could’ve won the game comfortably today with a couple of early goals and just seen it through very workman-like, but given the fortnight they’ve just had, an injury time winner could be far more beneficial, those type of wins can galvanise the fans/players/manager again.
Bawman of KDS:
Donovan is more athletic than Ralston. We’ll need to make a decision about that position in the summer but it seems pretty straightforward at this point.
Tounetki is the real deal. To have him and Jota for the left is great. Unfortunately we also have Palma, Maeda, Balikwisha and Yang for that one spot too.
Hatate, when in the groove, is our difference maker. Nice to see McGregor making the runs beyond the left winger. Doing what Johnston was doing on the right last season to good effect.
CCV and Scales having a wee competition to out-clown one another. Tierney with the lesser spotted 90 minute outing.
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Formation: 4 – 3 – 3
12 V. Sinisalo
63 K. Tierney
05 L. Scales 20′, Yellow Card at 20mins
20 C. Carter-Vickers
51 C. Donovan
41 R. Hatate, subbed for A. Engels at 69mins
42 C. McGregor (c), Captain, subbed for Paulo Bernardo at 59mins
08 B. Nygren, subbed for L. McCowan at 71mins
23 S. Tounekti, subbed for M. Balikwisha at 59mins
17 K. Ịheanachọ, subbed for D. Maeda at 59mins
Subs:
10 M. Balikwisha
27 A. Engels
49 J. Forrest
28 Paulo Bernardo
38 D. Maeda
14 L. McCowan
47 D. Murray
36 M. Saracchi
01 K. Schmeichel
Goals:
Yang Hyun-Jun (26′)
L. Scales (28′)
S. Tounekti (46′)
L. McCowan (79′)
Assists:
Celtic,B. Nygren (26′, 28′), K. Ịheanachọ (46′), M. Balikwisha (79′)
Partick Thistle
Manager: Mark Wilson
Formation: 4 – 2 – 3 – 1
01 L. Budinauckas
03 P. Reading
20 D. O’Reilly
05 L. Ashcroft (c), Captain, subbed for L. McBeth at 71mins
02 C. Logan, subbed for O. Smyth at 54mins
64 T. Letsosa
26 B. Stanway, subbed for S. Lawless at 62mins
21 A. Fitzpatrick
14 R. Crawford, subbed for K. Turner at 54mins
10 L. Chalmers
32 T. Watt, subbed for A. Samuel at 46mins
Subs:
38 L. Cameron
39 M. Falconer
37 T. Horn
11 S. Lawless
17 Z. Mackenzie
19 L. McBeth
09 A. Samuel
08 O. Smyth
06 K. Turner 75′, Yellow Card at 75mins
Referee Kevin Clancy
Assistant Referee 1 Ross MacLeod
Assistant Referee 2 David Dunne
Venue:Wyre Stadium at Firhill
Attendance:8,817
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
Overall possession
Partick Thistle 24% Celtic 76%
Shots
Partick Thistle 7 Celtic 22
Shots
Shots on target
Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 8
Shots on target
Goalkeeper saves
Partick Thistle 3 Celtic 0
Fouls committed
Partick Thistle 6 Celtic 12
Corners
Partick Thistle 0 Celtic 0
Attack
Shots
Partick Thistle 7 Celtic 22
Shots
Shots on target
Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 8
Shots off target
Partick Thistle 4 Celtic 9
Attempts out of box
Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 10
Total offsides
Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 1
Defence
Fouls committed
Partick Thistle 6 Celtic 12
Total yellow cards
Partick Thistle 1 Celtic 1
Articles
Celtic fan protest delays start as perfunctory cup win banks another cash bonanza for the rich
By Graeme Macpherson
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-news/celtic-fan-protest-delays-start-as-perfunctory-cup-win-banks-another-cash-bonanza-for-the-rich-5327431
0Comments
Published 21st Sep 2025, 18:19 BST
Updated 21st Sep 2025, 18:30 BST
Partick put to the sword as Celtic ease into semi-finals
Chuck another half a million quid on the top of Celtic’s ever-growing mountain of cash.
Two days after the club’s financial figures revealed they now have £77million in the bank and made a pre-tax profit of £33million, Brendan Rodgers’ side enjoyed a leisurely Sunday stroll in the sunshine as they coasted past Partick Thistle in this one-sided quarter-final tie.
Their reward is a last four meeting against Rangers at the start of November and an estimated £500,000 from prize and television money and their share of the two semi-final gates. Money goes to money right enough.
Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti celebrates after scoring to make it 3-0 over Partick Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Firhill. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti celebrates after scoring to make it 3-0 over Partick Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Firhill. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group
It is the club’s reluctance to release more of those funds to support the product on the pitch, however, that continues to anger their supporters, although Celtic had no need for reinforcements here as they clinically despatched Thistle thanks to goals from Hyun-Jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti and Luke McCowan.
The level of difficulty goes up significantly now with a midweek trip to play Red Star Belgrade in their opening Europa League match, the competition that could expose the lack of depth in their squad more than any domestic challenger likely will.
It wouldn’t be a Celtic match these days without the now customary protests against the board. The visiting fans were given the entire Jackie Husband stand at Firhill and on every seat was a poster calling for the removal of the club’s hierarchy including Peter Lawwell, Michael Nicholson and Dermot Desmond. Those were raised as the teams walked out before being scrunched into balls and thrown onto the pitch, briefly holding up kick-off. There was a further demonstration at the start of the second half when banners were held up bearing the names of those clubs to have knocked out Celtic in failed European qualifying campaigns.
Celtic fans protest against the board with banners as the teams emerge ahead of the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle at Firhill. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Celtic fans protest against the board with banners as the teams emerge ahead of the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle at Firhill. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group
Perfunctory victory
With the transfer window closed until January and little prospect of significant boardroom change any time soon, this may be a protest that won’t deliver the desired outcome until much further down the line – if at all – but the Celtic support evidently are not discouraged as they continue to make their feelings known. Expect more of the same in the weeks and months ahead.
That discontent about off-field matters stands in stark contrast with the relative contentment with how things are going on it, domestically at least. This was as perfunctory a cup win over a lower division rival as could have been hoped for as Celtic, after a slow start, extended their trophy defence with comparative ease.
Thistle, going well at the start of the Championship season, had made bold noises in the build-up about going toe-to-toe with their city rivals but never really looked like causing an upset in their quest for a first victory in this fixture for more than 30 years.
Celtic’s first two goals arrived just three minutes apart midway through the first half and had the effect of terminating any possibility of a shock. The Thistle supporters had held up a banner before the match to commemorate the club’s famous 4-1 League Cup final triumph over Celtic in 1971, a famous day in the club’s history but also a reminder of how rarely these upsets come around.
Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti scores to make it 3-0 over Partick Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Firhill. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti scores to make it 3-0 over Partick Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Firhill. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group
They were given occasional encouragement from a couple of defensive mix-ups between Vilijami Sinisalo – making a rare start in goal for Celtic – and Cameron Carter-Vickers but beyond that the outcome was all but settled once the visitors had moved two in front.
Thistle held firm for 25 largely inconsequential minutes only to then concede in somewhat odd circumstances. Tounekti – a lively, dynamic presence all afternoon – shovelled a pass to the overlapping Benjamin Nygren whose deep cross was headed goalwards by Yang. A deflection off defender Paddy Reading gave the initial impression to many that Yang had headed into the side netting, the Celtic fans only celebrating when they saw their players do so.
Celtic pressed forward looking to add to their lead and only a spectacular save from Lewis Budinauckas kept out Tounetki’s effort. A second goal, however, would not be long in arriving.
Nygren’s cross from a short corner was attacked by Scales at the near post, his header spiralling up and in at the near post, embarrassing Budinauckas in the process. Thistle shoulders sagged and a third Celtic goal in the first minute of the second half added to their misery.
It was a first in Celtic colours for Tounekti who worked a 1-2 with Kelechi Iheanacho then flashed in a low shot, before substitute Luke McCowan showed similar composure as he rolled in number four.
Related topics:CelticPartick Thistle
Celtic cruise into League Cup semi-final with impressive win at Firhill
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/september/21/celtic-cruise-into-league-cup-semi-final-with-impressive-win-at-firhill/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
Share
21 Sep 2025, 5:26 pm
Premier Sports Cup quarter-final
Sunday, September 21 2025
Firhill, Glasgow
PARTICK THISTLE…0
CELTIC…4
(Yang 26, Scales 28, Tounekti 46 & McCowan 80)
Celtic booked their place in the League Cup semi-final with a comprehensive performance at Firhill, sweeping Partick Thistle aside with a 4-0 victory.
It was an afternoon of firsts for Yang, Liam Scales and Sebastian Tounekti – Yang and Scales scored their first goals of the season, while Tounekti netted his first since arriving at the club.
Substitute Luke McCowan then rounded off the scoring with his first Celtic goal since the opening day of the season.
According to Google Maps, it takes around 90 minutes to walk from Firhill to Hampden, so it felt fitting to say the holders were 90 minutes away from a return to the National Stadium in November.
Celtic, as expected, had the first sight of goal in the early stages. Superb work from Sebastian Tounekti and Reo Hatate created an opening inside the Partick Thistle area.
Benjamin Nygren couldn’t quite make the most of it, and while Kieran Tierney arrived to meet the loose ball, he fired over the bar. Moments later, captain Callum McGregor also sent a shot over.
After 10 minutes, Celtic were still looking to find their rhythm but began to piece together some fine passing football. McGregor and Hatate exchanged an excellent one-two to give Kelechi Iheanacho his first glimpse of goal, but his effort failed to trouble Thistle goalkeeper, Lewis Budinauckas.
The breakthrough arrived in unusual fashion on 25 minutes. Hatate showed tenacity in midfield to win possession before feeding Tounekti on the left.
The Tunisian drove forward and slid the ball into the path of Nygren, who lofted a clever cross to the back post for Yang to nod home.
From the away end it initially looked as though the chance had been missed, leading to muted celebrations, but replays confirmed that the South Korean had finished decisively for his first of the season and to put Celtic ahead.
Moments later Tounekti tried his luck with a powerful strike that Budinauckas superbly tipped over the bar. From the resulting corner, the Celtic supporters did have cause to celebrate as Liam Scales met a well-worked delivery with a glancing header to double the holders’ advantage and get his first goal of the season as well.
With a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, it already looked an uphill task for Mark Wilson’s side. Yet the hosts carved out a chance when Cameron Carter-Vickers was caught in possession. The ball broke to former Celtic youth player, Tsoanelo Letsosa, whose deflected shot forced a corner.
Celtic soon reasserted control. A clever flick from Iheanacho released Yang down the right and the winger cut inside, evading his marker, before finding Hatate in the box.
The midfielder attempted an audacious outside-of-the-boot effort towards the top corner, but his shot cleared the crossbar.
24%
Possession
76%
6
Shots
19
2
Shots On Target
7
4
Corners
8
6
Fouls
10
1
0
Cards
1
0
You had to go back to 1995 for the last time Celtic tasted defeat against the Jags, and that underlined the size of the task facing Mark Wilson as both sides emerged for the second half, with the League Cup holders already having one foot in the semi-final come November.
That task became a mountain to climb after just a few moments of the second half. Breaking on the counter-attack, Reo Hatate played a superb ball into the opposition half for Sebastian Tounekti to chase.
Rather than immediately finding Kelechi Iheanacho, the Tunisian winger drove forward, cut inside and exchanged a delightful one-two with the Nigerian before calmly slotting the ball past the Partick Thistle goalkeeper for his first goal in the green and white Hoops.
Having been the standout performer on his debut at Rugby Park and again here at Firhill, he fully deserved the moment that effectively put the game beyond doubt.
Colby Donovan, making only his fourth first-team appearance, impressed once more. He rose well to win a header in midfield and set Iheanacho away, and the striker unleashed a low drive from distance that Budinauckas did well to save.
Thistle enjoyed a rare sight of goal just before the hour mark when Logan Chalmers swung a dangerous cross into the Celtic area. Ben Stanway met it with a firm header, drawing an excellent stop from Viljami Sinisalo.
But Celtic extended their advantage on 80 minutes. Balikwisha pressed Luke McBeth superbly to win back possession, allowing substitute Luke McCowan, on for Nygren, to race through and calmly slot beyond Budinauckas for Celtic’s fourth of the afternoon.
It could have been five soon after, with Balikwisha again at the heart of the action. He cut inside and lofted a precise ball over the Jags defence for Maeda, whose trademark pace left his marker trailing.
The Japanese forward attempted a deft chip but failed to connect cleanly. Moments later Balikwisha himself broke clear and tried to lift the ball over the goalkeeper, but his effort drifted narrowly wide.
When Kevin Clancy blew for full-time, Celtic’s place in the League Cup semi-final was confirmed. Attention now turns to Europe, with the Hoops beginning their UEFA Europa League campaign on Wednesday at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda.
Partick: Budinauckas, Logan (Smyth 54′), Ashcroft (McBeth 71′), O’Reilly, Reading, Stanway (Lawless 62′), Letsosa, Chalmers, Crawford (Turner 54′), Fitzpatrick, Watt (Samuel 45′)
Subs: Turner, Smyth, Samuel, Lawless, Mackenzie, McBeth, Horn, Cameron, Falconer
Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, Nygren (McCowan 71′), McGregor (Paulo Bernardo 59′), Hatate (Engels 69′), Hyunjun Yang, Iheanacho (Maeda 59′), Tounekti (Balikwisha 59′)
Subs: Schmeichel, Balikwisha, McCowan, Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Saracchi, Maeda, Murray, Forrest
Manager: We’re starting to find our rhythm
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/september/21/manager–we-re-starting-to-find-our-rhythm/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
Share
21 Sep 2025, 6:25 pm
Brendan Rodgers was pleased with his side’s performance as they beat Partick Thistle 4-0 at Firhill to book their place in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup.
The cup holders will now face another derby in the last four when they take on Rangers, the side they defeated in last season’s final.
That’s a match the Hoops will look forward to when it comes around, but as the manager pointed out, there is plenty of football to play before that game at the beginning of November, starting with the Europa League tie against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday night.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the victory over Partick Thistle, the Celtic manager said: “I’m really pleased with today and the rhythm in the team.
“The surface, even though it looked nice, was really long so you had to punch the pass in, but I thought we played really well, were really creative and we defended strong when we had to.
“The fluidity and that rhythm in the team is something that we’re looking to develop and we were starting to see that today.”
Celtic scored twice in the first-half through Yang and Liam Scales, and then extended their lead early in the second-half when Sebastian Tounekti scored his first goal for the club.
It was another impressive showing from the Tunisian internationalist, and his manager was delighted to see him open his scoring account for the club.
“He’s a great guy, he’s really hungry and he’s really positive in the game,” Brendan Rodgers said. “He takes the ball, one-v-one, and he wants to beat people, and he can do a little bit of everything.
“He can go outside or come inside, he can combine and obviously he was looking to make those passes for the guys making the inside runs, and he works very hard.
;So I’m pleased for him to get the goal because it’s one of the things I said to him that he needs to improve on.’
“He’s got a lot of talent but for him to keep progressing and moving in the football game, he needs to add numbers to his game and that’s what we’ve been saying to him. So it was great for him to get his first goal today.”
And there was also praise for Colby Donovan after another assured performance from the 19-year-old, who was also encouraged by his manager to step forward after the game to enjoy the well-deserved acclaim from supporters.
“He’s been superb. I really like him. I like his temperament and his personality,” said the manager. “It’s not easy coming into this team but he’s very aggressive and he understands the game.
“So I’m really pleased for him, and that little moment at the end – this is a kid who has grown up a Celtic supporter all his life and he’s been dreaming of that moment, so to give him that, and I think the supporters, particularly in the second half, really appreciated him on that side.
“They see how strong he is, how aggressive he is, and I’m really pleased for him. He’s come into the team and done excellent.”
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c5yg8ygm4p7t?page=5#Report
At a glance
Hyunjun Yang and Liam Scales score in quick succession to put Celtic in a commanding lead
Sebastian Tounetki opens his Celtic account shortly after the restart
Substitute Luke McCowan slots home late on to kill off any doubt of holders’ progression
Victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side follows protests against the club’s board and Peter Lawwell pre-match.
ByMartin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter at Firhill
Holders Celtic coasted into the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals with a convincing victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill.
Away supporters once again showed their displeasure at the Celtic board pre-match and at half-time, with the vast majority holding pictures of chief executive Michael Nicholson and non-executive chairman Peter Lawwell that suggested they should depart the club.
On the pitch, though, Celtic looked more than harmonious as manager Brendan Rodgers chases as fifth trophy win in this competition across his two spells, and goals from Hyunjun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounetki and substitute Luke McCowan potentially brought it closer.
Partick Thistle were initially resilient but with their opponents looking in the mood from the off, it felt a matter of time before the opener arrived.
It did when Benjamin Nygren floated a perfect cross to the far post to Yang who, at first, seemed to have blown a wonderful chance. It was an optical illusion as his close-range header found the corner of the net after looping off a Thistle defender.
Minutes later, Nygren then cut inside and smashed the ball but Lewis Budinauckas did well to divert for corner. The second goal followed from that with Scales’ angled header to the top corner catching the Jags keeper out.
Chances for the home side were rare. Slackness from Cameron Carter-Vickers handed Ts’oanelo Lets’osa one before the break but Scales did superbly to block.
The third was a joy of a goal on the counter and came quick after half-time.
Reo Hatate did superbly to release Tounekti. He cut inside and looked like shooting but Iheanacho delivered a sublime one-two, and the Tunisian winger finished emphatically.
A fine goal showing the winger’s end product and the recently-recruited striker’s technical ability.
Ben Stanway came closest to a consolation with a header that Viljami Sinisalo comfortably diverted to safety, but a fourth arrived at the other end when Michel-Ange Balikwisha did well to win possession and fellow substitute McCowan finished impressively.
The outcome was never really in doubt as Celtic cruised to the win.
Analysis: Celtic deliver convincingly with Tounetki central
Brendan Rodgers stated in the build up that he is seeking better “rhythm”.
That arrived in this contest. Celtic looked threatening with the tempo and threat way higher than some recent outings.
There were any number of positives with Iheanacho showing real quality at times in his link up. He was only denied a goal by a superb second half save.
Tounekti was the standout again during his hour on the pitch. Simply because he constantly wants the ball and is direct when he gets it.
It’s what fans want to see, asks questions and gave Thistle defenders no end of problems. He’s exciting to watch and rarely goes backwards.
His first Celtic goal capped a second impressive display. For all of their transfer issues of late, Tounekti looks a real find in that window of largely missed opportunity.
If Celtic played well in this tie, it was inevitable they would win and they did so comfortably.
What information do we collect from this quiz?
For Thistle, all the endeavour that’s required was there, but Celtic’s pace and ability was too much. They managed to frustrate initially but couldn’t ask enough questions and the first-half quick-fire double proved decisive.
They’ve had a really positive start under Mark Wilson and can take solace in reaching a quarter-final and the much-welcome significant boost in finance this tie brought.
What they said
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: “I was really pleased with the performance and the result.
“You have to be really professional and we were. The players passed it well and created some really good moments in the game.
“We’re building. It’s hard to go through nine months in the season being hot. With everything going on in the window it’s taken some time for players to come in.
“I can see the fluency and the rhythm of the team growing each day.”
What’s next for both sides?
Celtic begin their Europa League campaign on their travels with a trip to face Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday (20:00 BST) before hosting Hibernian next Saturday in the Premiership.
Partick Thistle are also away from home in the much closer location of Dunfermline when they return in the Championship on Saturday (15:00).
Celtic’s accounts laid bare as Peter Lawwell addresses fans amid protests and significant profit
Mark Atkinson
By Mark Atkinson
Published 19th Sep 2025, 19:14 BST
Updated 19th Sep 2025, 19:18 BST
Cash reserves remain high as Parkhead chief lays out figures
Celtic have announced a profit of £33.9 million in their latest accounts and have a cash reserve of £77.3m, with chairman Peter Lawwell “pleased to report another successful year” for the club.
The Scottish champions made their financial figures for the year ended June 30, 2025 public on Friday evening and continue to show strong numbers off the pitch.
The £33.9m of profits after tax are up significantly from £13.4m a year ago, with Celtic making £31.5m on player sales, including Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi. In the same period, they paid £38.6m on players. Group revenue increased by 15.2 per cent to 143.6m, while the cash in the bank is almost identical from June 2024, rising by £100k from £77.2m.
Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell.
Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell. | SNS Group
Celtic’s stark upturn in revenue was put down to the club’s performance in the Champions League, where they reached the last-16 play-offs before being defeated by Bayern Munich. However, Lawwell reported that after the purchase of players such as Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Jota, Auston Trusty and Adam Idah, first-team labour costs were the highest in the history of the club.
The results have been posted amid fan unrest, with some Celtic supporters calling for the board to resign after a frugal summer transfer window. As a consequence, Celtic failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing in the final play-off round to Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan. Lawwell and his fellow directors Dermot Desmond and Michael Nicholson have been the targets of protests due to lack of investment in the first team.
Lawwell addressed the dissenters by saying: “We recognise and share the frustration and disappointment of our supporters with respect to the timing of some of the incoming acquisitions. We will always look to improve how we operate and overcome challenges where possible.”
Celtic’s full chairman’s statement
Lawwell’s full chairman’s statement read: “I am pleased to report on another successful year for Celtic Football Club (“the Club”) both on and off the pitch. The year ended 30 June 2025 saw the Club continue our domestic success coupled with a memorable European campaign and the delivery of a strong set of financial results. I congratulate Brendan, his backroom team and all our players for a memorable season.
“Revenue increased to £143.6m (2024: £124.6m), with the increase driven by a significant uplift in matchday income and UEFA rights distributions following a successful Champions League campaign. This reflected the expanded Champions League format which now guarantees eight matches over the previous six and the fact we reached the play-off round. Profit after tax increased to £33.9m (2024: £13.4m), driven by the strong revenue growth and substantial gains from player trading of £31.5m (2024: £6.6m). These gains were largely reinvested into the playing squad, aligned to the Club’s commitment to sustained on-field success.
“Despite these strong earnings, year-end cash remained broadly flat at £77.3m (2024: £77.2m). During the year we invested heavily in the first team, both by way of player transfers and wages along with infrastructure across our estate. First team labour costs were the highest levels in the history of the Club. In total and including committed agent fees, £42.6m was invested in player acquisitions during the year, more than doubling the prior year spend, marking the highest single-season investment in the Club’s history including twice breaking the Club transfer record. As a result, the carrying value of the squad is the highest it has been in the history of the Club. Over the past three years to 30 June 2025, total investment in player registrations including committed agent fees has totalled £77.5m.
“The Board shares the ambition of our supporters to see the strongest possible team on the pitch and will continue to balance short-term performance with long-term financial stability, and we must factor in the long-term implications of all decisions made today. This strategy is vital to Celtic and has been pivotal to our success over the last 20 years.
“On the pitch, the Club secured its 55th league title, winning the Scottish Premiership for the fourth consecutive season. We also lifted the Premier Sports Cup by defeating Rangers and reached the Scottish Cup Final, narrowly missing out on a domestic treble after losing out on penalties to Aberdeen. In Europe, we embraced the new Champions League format, playing eight group stage matches, earning 12 points and finishing 21st out of 36. This led to a high-profile play-off tie against Bayern Munich, where we exited the competition by a single goal following an aggregate 2-1 defeat. The campaign was a source of pride for the Club and our supporters. Our current domestic season has started strongly and at the time of writing we currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership and have reached the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup.
“Our Women’s team made their debut in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in season 2024/25, an historic milestone for the Club. While the European challenge proved difficult, the experience gained will serve the team well as they look to build on their progress in the seasons ahead. The physical demands of European football undoubtedly had an adverse effect on domestic performance where we finished fourth in the league. Elena and the team look forward to the new season with enthusiasm and optimism.
Lawwell addresses supporters
“During the 2025 summer transfer window, the Club undertook a number of changes to the Men’s first team squad as part of our ongoing strategy to refresh and strengthen the playing group by signing 11 players. We have acquired the registrations of Shin Yamada, Ross Doohan, Benjamin Nygren, Kieran Tierney, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho along with the temporary transfers of Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Marcelo Saracchi.
“We recognise and share the frustration and disappointment of our supporters with respect to the timing of some of the incoming acquisitions. We will always look to improve how we operate and overcome challenges where possible.
“The registrations of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nicolas Kühn, Adam Idah, Mitchel Frame, Marco Tilio and Hyeok-kyu Kwon were permanently transferred to other clubs with Scott Bain, Greg Taylor and Daniel Cummings leaving at the end of their contracts. In addition, Maik Nawrocki, Adam Montgomery, Stephen Welsh and Luis Palma departed on loan. As always, we thank those players for their contributions to Celtic and wish them every success for the coming season at their new clubs.
“Looking forward, myself and the Executive team will continue to represent our Club at the highest level of domestic and European football. Given the financial disparity that now exists across European Leagues it is vital that the interests of Scottish Football are represented to ensure that we are not only able to maintain our position but also to grow and take advantage of the continued global expansion of football.
“This year also brought real sadness with the passing of Lisbon Lions John Clark and John Fallon, and our former Chairman Jack McGinn. Their contributions to Celtic and Scottish Football were immense, and we will continue to honour their legacy.
“My sincere gratitude and thanks go to the Club’s supporters who season after season give their unwavering support. Thanks must also go to our hardworking and dedicated employees whose contribution is vital to the success we have enjoyed in recent years.”