Early Brilliance and Red Card Drama
Celtic put themselves in a strong position in Bologna with first-half goals from Reo Hatate and Auston Trusty, despite Hatate picking up two quick yellow cards and being sent off. The Japanese midfielder opened the scoring after a poor pass from Bologna’s goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski set up Daizen Maeda, who teed up Hatate to fire past the keeper. Just minutes later, Skorupski redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Yang, keeping Celtic calm after their opening goal.
Bologna gradually grew into the game, creating chances that were blocked by Callum McGregor and Trusty, while Kasper Schmeichel kept out threats from Juan Miranda and Tommaso Pobega. Hatate’s second yellow, a reckless challenge on Miranda, forced Celtic to play the remainder of the match with ten men, leaving Martin O’Neill frustrated on the touchline.
Second-Half Pressure and Late Bologna Fightback
Despite being down a player, Celtic doubled their lead six minutes after the red card, with Trusty finishing from a Kieran Tierney corner that took a deflection off Arne Engels. That second goal proved vital as Bologna dominated possession and bombarded Celtic’s goal in the second half. Benjamin Dominguez hit the bar, and the Italian side eventually found the net through Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe, though Celtic held on for a valuable 2-2 draw.
Schmeichel’s key saves and the defenders’ resilience kept Celtic alive, allowing them to maintain hopes of progressing to the Europa League knockout play-offs.
Looking Ahead: Knockout Hopes and Premiership Clash
Celtic now head into the final group match against Utrecht at home, needing a result to secure their spot in the next round. O’Neill will no doubt stress discipline after Hatate’s sending off, but the team’s determination under pressure will give them confidence.
Next on the domestic front, Celtic travel to face Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday in a crucial league clash. Meanwhile, the Europa League stats underline the rarity of Celtic letting a 2-0 lead slip away, as well as Hatate’s unusual record of scoring and being sent off in the same European match. Reo Hatate also became the third Japanese player to net three or more goals in a Europa League season, joining Takumi Minamino and Daichi Kamada.
Celtic will rely on players like Daizen Maeda, who has already provided eight assists this season, and the experienced McGregor, making his 65th European start for the club, as they chase both European progression and domestic success.
