Celtic finally broke their long 16-game winless run in Europe away from home, beating Feyenoord 3-1 in the Europa League. Softfootball predicted a draw in the pregame report. Both sides came into the match needing a boost, but it was the Scottish side who showed more composure and determination.
Celtic celebrated the win via their official X account.
View the post below:
Softfootball understands that the match started nervously for Celtic. Luke McCowan had an open goal, only for the offside flag to save him from a mistake, but soon Feyenoord took the lead. Sean Steijn squared the ball for Ayase Ueda, who didn’t hesitate, firing past Kasper Schmeichel, who recently just turned 39 years old, into the bottom corner.
It looked like Feyenoord might control the game, but Celtic responded well. In the 31st minute, Reo Hatate hooked a ball across for Yang Hyun-Jun, who squeezed in a finish from a tight angle to make it 1-1.
Just before halftime, the turnaround was complete in a bit of a comical way. Feyenoord’s goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther miscontrolled a clearance, and Hatate was there to slot it home into an empty net.
Celtic had failed to score before halftime in their last eight European away games, so this was a small but significant morale boost for the travelling fans.
The second half saw Celtic largely in control, even if they didn’t look overly threatening. Feyenoord, struggling with confidence after three straight defeats in all competitions, couldn’t really mount consistent pressure.
Later on, they tried, with Gaoussou Diarra seeing a shot deflect wide and a header crashing off the crossbar. But Benjamin Nygren’s rifled finish in the final 10 minutes sealed it.
This win keeps Celtic in contention for automatic qualification to the Europa League round of 16, while Feyenoord now face a tough climb if they want to reach the play-off spots. For O’Neill and his side, it’s a long-awaited, much-needed European away win, a reminder that Celtic can perform under pressure when it matters most.
