Match Pictures | Matches: 2026 – 2027
Trivia
- KO: 20:00, Thursday TNT Sports
- Europa league Uefa cup match day 1
- Celtic straight into the Europa League after losing in playoffs of the Champions League.
- Game NOT sold out, apathy against the board and way club has been run in recent seasons.
- Sinisalo returns in goals after Johnstone disaster last Sunday. Sorenson & Forrest start.
- Some commenting if Forrest starting is a sign of how poor recruitment has been this past summer? Super expensive Hogh on the bench.
- Ex-Celt Daniel Arzani scores a cracker just after the break.
- Celtic have lost 5/7 home games in major European competition, 2.4 goals per game lost.
- Martin O’Neill – for first time ever, quite vocal from sections of the support that he should look to step down. Concerns growing about the setup of the team and the dysfunction in play. Unintentionally, this was highlighted by McGregor who noted after last Sunday that Celtic played liked individuals and not as a team.
- Callum McGregor: fifth Scotsman with 75+ games in Europe, after Allan McGregor (78), Billy Bremner (76), David Narey (76), and Kenny Dalglish (75).
- Oasis announce to play gigs at Celtic Park next summer!
- Scotland: Colby Donovan (first time) and Kieran Tierney called up to national squad.
- Mika Baur called up to German national team for first time, for matches v Serbia & Greece. Scores in this game to give himself a filip, but little else good in this game.
- Ex-Celt Danny McGrain diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Dutch footballing legend Ruud Gullit: “(Dutch Football legend) Frank Rijkaard is retired. He doesn’t want to go back into football management. He doesn’t want to do it. Not even if Celtic came and spoke to him. He has had enough of it.”
- Reports:
- Celtic & English Championship clubs after Liverpool defender Luke Chamber
Summary
Martin O’Neill: “Well, we’re naturally disappointed getting beaten. We started off very, very brightly. We had a number of balls that were flashed across the goal and no-one there to put the ball in the net for us. “They’re first attempt, proper attempt, really, on goal yielded a goal for them. We come back into the game, got the equaliser just before half-time and then conceded a really poor goal. “We’re hit on the break for the third goal. While we had a number of balls flashed across the box even in the last 20 minutes, we didn’t get there to the front post a number of times that could’ve kept it alive and we’re beaten in the game.”
“It’s a huge frustration, obviously, but it’s also psychologically quite damning as well. “Just when you’ve fought your way back into the game and you think, well if you can’t with the minute the fourth official puts up, at least defend it properly and we didn’t do that. That was really disappointing. “It’s not the start we wanted. We have seven games in which to try and get some points on the board. Really need to concentrate now on Sunday [against Rangers]. “Tonight was I think a European lesson for us in many aspects. We’ll get ourselves together. We need to re-energise ourselves as much as anything else. “When we have decent possession of the ball, just don’t give it away. But also I think taking a few risks as well too – risks in the proper areas of the field.”
Pat Bonner Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound It was very hard to get excited when you see people giving the ball away needlessly. They were devoid of ideas. Celtic want to build the game from the back, through the midfield and then get into an attacking situation higher up the pitch. But when you can’t do that, they don’t have another plan of action. It keeps breaking down and then everybody becomes frustrated. And then the goals don’t help. Unless something drastically changes, with the players that they have on the pitch, I don’t think they can play that way.
Tom English BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer on Sportsound Martin O’Neill sounded tired. I think his players are tired and overthinking everything. There’s a lot to fix.
Neil Lennon Former Celtic manager on TNT Sports They’re not bad players, they’re just lacking confidence. They have a huge game on Sunday, but they are going to have to play a lot better.
Stiliyan Petrov Former Celtic midfielder on TNT Sports It’s not Martin O’Neill’s style. It’s too slow at the moment. If you ask me honestly if that’s the style Martin O’Neill plays, definitely not.
Social Media:
Rick Hendry @rickhendry.bsky.social · 1h If we’re not careful our season could begin to unravel very quickly, the confidence will be rock bottom within the squad, it’s now up to our management team to earn their corn and get the players going again and lift them for Sunday. I would take a draw now and regroup over the international break.
Just something not clicking with us at this moment in time sure there isn’t . That goal was coming too really poor . So slow in build up play and movement then quality in final third is shocking
Just watch how many teams bully us this yr and I mean just out muscle us…every individual player is losing his 1 on 1 we need someone who loves a tackle and we need someone physical
It’s been coming let’s be honest and the below doesn’t include what pre season was like this summer either the goals we conceded
Every game this season the opposition have had bags of chances First game of season Monday night at home we were ok but defensively poor:
- Killie away kamikaze for the first half no control of the game they scored one and should have a de more
- Dundee united away they hit the woodwork 5 times and scored
- Concede against Falkirk who has plenty more chances too
- Aberdeen we played our best game by far and keep a clean sheet
- St Mirren away they had us pegged in and all over us lucky to win
- St Johnstone away they had an absolute sitter to go 1-0 up and keeper makes a decent save
- Lask 60 shows on goal against us
- Sevco banged in 3 could have been 6 or 7 easily
- And that’s only this season , end of last season was pure survival and Iheanacho being a god!!
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Martin O’Neill
Formation: 4 – 2 – 3 – 1
Starting lineup
01, V. Sinisalo
63, K. Tierney
05, L. Scales
20, C. Carter-Vickers
51, C. Donovan, subbed for A. Ralston at 80 mins
22, M. Baur, subbed for L. McCowan at 66 mins
42, C. McGregor (c), Captain
49, J. Forrest, subbed for S. Tounekti at 57 mins
18, O. Sørensen, subbed for K. Høgh at 46 mins
23, Haissem Hassan, subbed for B. Nygren at 57 mins
11, C. Durán
Subs:
31, R. Doohan
26, S. Johnstone
03, J. Lotomba
14, L. McCowan
47, D. Murray
08, B. Nygren
56, A. Ralston
17, S. Tounekti
06, A. Trusty
09, K. Høgh
Goals:
M. Baur (44′)
Assists:
K. Tierney (44′)
Ferencváros
Manager: Balázs Borbély
Formation: 04 – 2 – 3 – 1
Starting lineup
01, Á. Varga
20, Cadu
04, M. Gómez, subbed for N. Zohoré at 81 mins
28, T. Raemaekers
54, O. Nagy, subbed for A. Osváth at 46 mins
17, M. Corbu
06, Á. Nagy
15, D. Arzani, subbed for C. O’Dowda at 66 mins
16, K. Zachariassen (c), Captain
11, B. Yusuf, subbed for J. Levi at 66 mins
18, Á. Bagi, subbed for K. Lisztes at 71 mins
Subs:
22, M. Bero
07, V. Birmančević
90, D. Dibusz
08, N. Keïta
19, F. Kovačević
71, C. Lakatos
10, J. Levi,86′, Yellow Card at 86 mins
76, K. Lisztes
72, Á. Madarász
47, C. O’Dowda
14, A. Osváth,87′, Yellow Card at 87 mins
05, N. Zohoré
Goals:
B. Yusuf (20′)
K. Zachariassen (45’+1)
D. Arzani (47′)
Assists:
K. Zachariassen (20′)
B. Yusuf (45’+1
47′)
Referee: Patrik Kolaric
Video Assistant Referee: Mario Zebec
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajic
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starcevic
Fourth Official: Dario Bel
Assistant VAR Official: Jan Boterberg
Venue:Celtic Park
Attendance:48,223
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
Basic Stats
Overall possession
Celtic 62.8%
Ferencváros 37.2%
Shots
Celtic 16
Ferencváros 14
Shots on target
Celtic 4
Ferencváros 6
Total touches inside the opposition box
Celtic 37
Ferencváros 16
CEL
FTC
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 3
Ferencváros 3
Aerial duels won
Celtic 12
Ferencváros 8
Fouls committed
Celtic 18
Ferencváros 14
Corners
Celtic 11
Ferencváros 3
In-depth match stats
Attack
Shots
Celtic 16
Ferencváros 14
Shots on target
Celtic 4
Ferencváros 6
Shots off target
Celtic 4
Ferencváros 5
Attempts out of box
Celtic 5
Ferencváros 6
Total offsides
Celtic 1
Ferencváros 1
Distribution
Total passes
Celtic 596
Ferencváros 359
Pass accuracy %
Celtic 89.4
Ferencváros 80.2
Backward passes
Celtic 90
Ferencváros 58
Forward passes
Celtic 178
Ferencváros 135
Total long balls
Celtic 39
Ferencváros 46
Successful final third passes
Celtic 126
Ferencváros 78
Total crosses
Celtic 39
Ferencváros 17
Defence
Total tackles
Celtic 18
Ferencváros 11
Won tackle %
Celtic 66.7
Ferencváros 72.7
Fouls committed
Celtic 18
Ferencváros 14
Total yellow cards
Celtic 0
Ferencváros 2
Total clearances
Celtic 16
Ferencváros 39
Pre Match Facts
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Celtic haven’t drawn any of their last 22 home matches in the UEFA Europa League since a 2-2 draw with Fenerbahçe in October 2015 (W11 L11), losing three of their last five on home soil.
Ferencváros have only lost one of their last nine group games in the UEFA Europa League (W5 D3), losing 0-4 at Nottingham Forest in their final group match of 2025-26.
Six of
Ferencváros’ 17 goals in the UEFA Europa League last season came via crosses, the most of any side.
Celtic’s Callum McGregor has played 74 times in major European competition for the club, the most of any player in Celtic’s history. He could become the fifth Scotsman with 75+ games in Europe, after Allan McGregor (78), Billy Bremner (76), David Narey (76), and Kenny Dalglish (75).
Articles
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cq9v91l7dxd4t?page=6#Report
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park
The clouds around Celtic darkened further as they followed Old Firm defeat with a loss in their Europa League opener against Ferencvaros.
For the second game running, Martin O’Neill’s side conceded three times and looked fragile throughout – just as they did in their last European game against LASK in the Champions League qualifiers.
Despite a bright start, the Scottish champions were ruthlessly punished for slack defending, as strikes from Bamidele Yusuf, Kristoffer Zachariassen and former Celtic winger Daniel Arzani gave their Hungarian visitors victory.
Mika Baur had briefly levelled just before the interval but Celtic’s deficiencies were laid bare, conceding almost instantly to hand back the advantage.
Changes in personnel and shape made little impact on the outcome and leaves Celtic’s Europa League campaign already looking badly damaged. Sterner tests lie ahead, with a trip to Portugal to face Benfica next.
Do Celtic have ‘big issues’, or will next four days hush concerns?
Published
14 hours ago
Reaction, analysis & have your say on Celtic’s defeat
The nature of Sunday’s League Cup defeat by Rangers brought significant scrutiny and criticism. A reaction was demanded and O’Neill made four changes.
Initially, things looked good. James Forrest caused problems down the left and Ferencvaros looked on the back foot. But goals change games and this was a prime example with Celtic’s fragility brutally exposed.
Against the run of play, Yusuf cut in from the left, whipped toward the back post, and Liam Scales could only help the ball into the far corner. It was a cheap concession.
Baur, celebrating a first call-up for Germany, finished off a fine move to level on the stroke of half-time but, within seconds, Celtic had allowed Zachariassen to flick in amongst static defenders.
O’Neill changed shape at the break. Kasper Hogh joined Duran up front. But almost immediately, Celtic were further behind.
Scales’ loose pass was punished by Arzani, who produced an outstanding finish. A dream moment for him after an injury-ravaged Celtic spell.
There was no route back into the game, Benjamin Nygren coming closest, and Celtic’s bad week got worse, with the prospect of Rangers at home on Sunday looming large.
Full-time stats graphicImage source, SNS
Celtic analysis: Bright start eclipsed by darkness
The good part for Celtic was the start. Full of attacking intent with Forrest central to it down the left. Tempo, intensity, control and no little skill.
The bad came defensively, again. One of a number of concerns was how many self-inflicted errors caused havoc.
There is clear evidence to support the idea that Celtic are incredibly fragile at the back. The answers to solve that don’t seem obvious.
At this level, they were ruthlessly exposed. Imagine the scenes against potential Champions League opponents had they got there? O’Neill’s side didn’t get there for similar reasons.
There was so much focus on what Celtic’s line-up would be. The four changes didn’t really work. A change of shape at the break was undermined by Arzani’s goal.
Celtic pressed on but it was too little too late. New signings, in the main, just haven’t stepped up in these big games. That’s a concern.
O’Neill’s magic touch seems to have deserted him in these big moments and the questions will now get sharper.
Just what is Celtic’s preferred starting XI? Or the best shape and system to maximise the talent they have, while providing stability at the back?
There are any number of solutions required ahead of Rangers’ visit on Sunday or a similar outcome to last week may follow.
Graphic
What they said
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill: “We’re naturally disappointed getting beaten. We started off very, very brightly. We had a number of balls that were flashed across the goal and no-one there to put the ball in the net for us.
“They’re first attempt, proper attempt, really, on goal yielded a goal for them. We come back into the game, got the equaliser just before half-time and then conceded a really poor goal.
“We’re hit on the break for the third goal. While we had a number of balls flashed across the box even in the last 20 minutes, we didn’t get there to the front post a number of times that could’ve kept it alive and we’re beaten in the game.”
Celtic lose out in Europa League opener
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2026/september/17/celtic-lose-out-in-europa-league-opener/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
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17 Sep 2026, 9:52 pm
UEFA Europa League
League phase, matchday one
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC…1
(Baur 43)
FERENCVAROS…3
(Yusuf 19, Zachariassen 45+1, Arzani 47)
Celtic’s UEFA Europa League campaign got off to a disappointing start tonight as they lost 3-1 to Hungarian side, Ferencvaros, at Celtic Park.
Martin O’Neill’s side had started the game on the front foot and won their first corner inside the opening 40 seconds, although Ferencvaros dealt well with that set-piece and two subsequent corners inside the opening three minutes.
And on seven minutes, James Forrest did well down the left wing, skipping past the right-back and playing a ball to the near post which Camilo Duran put just wide.
Six minutes later and Forrest again caused problems, driving into the box, but his effort from a tight angle was saved.
In the 17 minute, the Hungarian side fashioned their first real chance through the dangerous Bamidele Yusuf on the right wing, but his cross was headed narrowly over by Kristoffer Zachariassen.
However, two minutes later Ferencvaros did take the lead when Yusuf’s low shot ended up in the back of the net with the aid of a deflection off Liam Scales.
Celtic pushed for a way back into the game, and Forrest and Baur tried to carve open the visitors, while Ferencvaros continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack, with Viljami Sinisalo producing a good save to deny Daniel Arzani.
The equaliser for Celtic came in the 43rd minute following great work down the left. Forrest fed Kieran Tierney who drove into the box and cut it back for Mika Baur to slot the ball home from six yards out.
However, in the one added minute at the end of the half, Ferencvaros restored their lead, with Zachariassen turning the ball into the net from close-range following good work by Yusuf.
63%
Possession
37%
16
Shots
14
4
Shots On Target
6
11
Corners
3
18
Fouls
14
0
0
Cards
2
0
Things didn’t get any better for Celtic at the start of the second half when Daniel Arzani produced a stunning finish from outside the area to make it 3-1.
The Hoops had made a formation change at the break, with Kasper Hogh coming on to partner Camilo Duran up front, but they were finding it difficult to break down a resolute Ferencvaros defence.
Celtic’s best chance to reduce the deficit came in the 68 minute when good play from McCowan found Hogh who, in turn, fed the ball to Benjamin Nygren, and his curling effort from the edge of the area went narrowly wide.
Three minutes later, Nygren set up fellow substitute, Sebastian Tounekti who cut in from the left and fired a shot from 18 yards out that was well-saved by the Ferencvaros keeper.
Nygren was again involved moments later when he capitalised on a slack pass from the goalkeeper, but his effort from 25 yards out was again just wide of the target.
The Hungarian side came close with six minutes remaining when Krisztian Lisztes fired just wide. However, there was to be no further scoring on what proved to be a disappointing night for the Hoops.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan (Ralston 80′), Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Baur (McCowan 66′), Haissem Hassan (Nygren 57′), Sørensen (Høgh 45′), Forrest (Tounekti 57′), Durán
Subs: Lotomba, Trusty, Nygren, Høgh, McCowan, Tounekti, Johnstone, Doohan, Murray, Ralston
Ferencváros: Varga, Olivér Nagy (Osváth 45′), Raemaekers, Gómez (Zohoré 81′), Cadu, Nagy, Corbu, Yusuf (Levi 66′), Zachariassen, Arzani (O’Dowda 66′), Bagi (Lisztes 71′)
Subs: Zohoré, Birmancevic, Keïta, Levi, Osváth, Kovacevic, Bero, O’Dowda, Lakatos, Madarász, Lisztes, Dibusz
Manager’s post-match reaction after Ferencvaros defeat
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2026/september/17/manager-s-post-match-reaction-after-ferencvaros-defeat/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
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17 Sep 2026, 10:44 pm
Celtic’s Europa League campaign got off to a poor start tonight (Thursday) as they lost 3-1 at home to Ferencvaros.
Not surprisingly, Martin O’Neill and his players were extremely disappointed at the defeat, and the Celtic manager is now looking for the team to bounce back in the derby clash at Paradise this weekend.
Speaking to CelticPlayer after the game, he said: “It was a disappointing evening for us. I thought we started very, very brightly in the game and flashed a number of balls across the box, but with no one getting in the end of them.
“And with their first real, proper attack, they scored a goal. That put us on the back foot for a while and we lost a little bit of possession, and I thought we became a little bit sloppy.
“Then we get the goal just before half-time and then, remarkably, concede in the minute that the fourth official has put up.
“So instead of going in at half-time one each and all to play for, again you find yourself behind. They score in a breakaway for the third goal and it’s a long way back after that.
“It was a disappointing evening, obviously, but It’s gone now. It’s not that I won’t be looking at it. Of course I will do. but we’ve got seven more games to try and put something right in the competition. And really, all thoughts now are on Sunday.”
Celtic face their second Glasgow derby in the space of seven days when they take on Rangers in the Premiership this Sunday.
And the manager knows the importance of getting back to way after two disappointing defeats.
“First of all, we have to find the energy levels up again, that’s the most important thing, so what we do now between now and Sunday morning becomes very, very important,” Martin O’Neill said.
“We need a little bit of rest, we need to talk about the game, and we need to try things that we think that we can iron out and improve, but total concentration is now on Sunday’s game.”