Celtic beat Beşiktaş 3–2 at Celtic Park on 5 November, according to Celtic FC's match report, as Camilo Durán scored the late winner. The comeback gave Celtic their first points of this UEFA Europa League league phase.
How Celtic overturned the deficit
UEFA reported that neither side managed a shot on target before half-time. Celtic's Benjamin Nygren sent an early attempt wide, while the visitors made little of their openings. The match changed after the interval when Jordan Lotomba fouled Ernest Poku inside the area. Sam Johnstone saved Junior Olaitan's penalty, but Olaitan reached the rebound first and put Beşiktaş ahead.
Martin O’Neill made a triple substitution, and the response was immediate. Celtic's report says Callum McGregor seized on a loose pass and found Callum Osmand. The substitute drove a low shot into the net with his first touch. Celtic then pressed for another goal: Liam Scales had a header tipped over, and Nygren later shot just above the bar after Osmand played him in.
Another reshuffle moved Camilo Durán into the middle of Celtic's attack. Osmand sent him through, and Durán went past the goalkeeper to give the hosts the lead. Orkun Kökçü brought Beşiktaş level again with a long-range strike late in the game. The visitors' recovery lasted barely a minute, Celtic's match report says. Durán met the ball after a Kieran Tierney shot and guided in his second goal, settling the contest.
The result against Celtic's earlier fixtures
SportsRivo checked UEFA's Celtic fixture list against the match report: defeats to Ferencváros, Benfica and Celta preceded the Beşiktaş comeback. That sequence confirms this was Celtic's first league-phase win and their first points in the competition. It also shows why the substitute goals changed more than the score on the night: they ended a losing start.
Before the match, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill had told the club: “It’ll be our fourth game, and we need to get off the mark at some stage.” The result answered that immediate concern. Celtic's report describes Osmand's equaliser as coming with his first touch after the substitutions, while UEFA credits both Osmand and Durán with goals from the bench.
What changes for Celtic and Beşiktaş
- Celtic have their first Europa League points after losing their opening matches to Ferencváros, Benfica and Celta, according to UEFA's fixture record and Celtic's 5 November report.
- Beşiktaş's unbeaten league-phase start is over. UEFA lists wins against Marseille and Hoffenheim, followed by a draw with Crystal Palace, before the defeat at Celtic Park.
- All Celtic's goals came from substitutes: Osmand equalised, and Durán scored twice. UEFA's 5 November round-up identifies both players as replacements.
Celtic's confirmed next European match
UEFA's fixture list schedules Celtic away to Torreense on 26 November. That is the club's next listed Europa League match after the Beşiktaş victory; the result in Glasgow does not determine the outcome of the upcoming fixture.
Source: Celtic FC match report