One deflection, one backheel flick and one curling strike from a former player turned a promising European night into another damaging result for Celtic. The 1-3 defeat to Ferencváros leaves the Scottish champions bottom of the Europa League table after the opening round, with pressure already mounting on a side that dominated the ball but was ruthlessly punished in transition.
Yusuf deflects Ferencváros into control
Bamidele Yusuf opened the scoring in the 20th minute when his left-footed drive from the right side of the area took a heavy deflection off Liam Scales and bounced into the bottom corner. Celtic responded with sustained pressure and levelled a minute before half-time when James Forrest fed Kieran Tierney, who drove to the byline and cut back a low cross for Mika Baur to sweep home from six yards.
Zachariassen backheel swings momentum before Arzani seals it
Ferencváros answered immediately in first-half stoppage time. Yusuf beat Tierney on the right wing and squared for Kristoffer Zachariassen to apply an instinctive close-range backheel flick, silencing Celtic Park and restoring the visitors' lead at the break. Two minutes into the second half, Daniel Arzani made it three after receiving a pass from Yusuf on a fast counter-attack, cutting inside onto his right foot and curling a 20-yard strike into the top corner.
Arzani return punishes former side
For Arzani, the goal carried extra weight. The Australian returned to haunt Celtic Park by scoring against his former side, having endured an injury-plagued and goalless stint with the Scottish club earlier in his career. His strike effectively ended the contest, leaving Celtic chasing a game they had controlled territorially. Possession read 63 per cent in Celtic's favour, with 16 total shots and 11 corners, yet Ferencváros produced six shots on target and maximum efficiency on the break.
The league standings now show Celtic 28th with zero points and a single defeat, while Ferencváros sit sixth with three points. Across the campaign, Celtic's form reads as a loss with one goal scored and three conceded, while the Hungarian side have recorded four clean sheets in an unbeaten run. What changed is clear: a home opener that was supposed to set a platform has instead deepened the scrutiny ahead of the next European fixture.
Match Information
Competition: UEFA Europa League
Date & Time: Thursday 17 September 2026, 21:00 CET
Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
Referee: P. Kolaric
