Ferencváros turn Celtic Park around in dramatic fashion
Ferencváros came to Celtic Park on Wednesday and took all three points with a 3:1 victory in the opening League Stage match of the UEFA Europa League. The Hungarians were trailing 2:1 at the interval before scoring twice in the space of ninety seconds to flip the result. Celtic, who had dominated possession and created more chances, found themselves on the wrong side of a match they should have won.
And here's the thing — the twenty-minute mark was where this game first showed its character. Bamidele Isa Yusuf opened the scoring for Celtic, then Mika Baur doubled the lead just before the break. By then it looked like a comfortable afternoon for the home side, but Ferencváros had other plans. Kristoffer Zachariassen pulled one back on 45+1 minutes, and Daniel Arzani struck again on 47 minutes to silence the crowd.
The statistics tell you what happened, but not why. Celtic enjoyed 63 per cent of the ball, registered four shots on target from eleven attempts inside the penalty area, and created three big chances. They had 101 attacks compared to 95 for Ferencváros, and twelve key passes against twelve. Yet their shot accuracy sat at just 25 per cent while the visitors hit 43 per cent with six shots on target from eleven attempts. One mistake ends it in these games.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break. Oliver Sorensen replaced by Olivér Nagy at half-time, then James Forrest and Haissem Hassan were sent off for Celtic on 57 minutes. Ferencváros brought on Ádám Gyula Bagi on 71 minutes and Colby Donovan on 80 minutes, while Celtic introduced Mariano Gómez for Haissem Hassan on 81 minutes. Jonathan Levi and Attila Osváth both picked up yellow cards late on.
The table after one match does not mean much, but it shows where things stand. Celtic sit in 28th place with zero points after a defeat, while Ferencváros occupy sixth with three points. The hosts have lost to Rangers 3:0 in their previous outing, so this result extends a difficult run. The Hungarians, meanwhile, bounced back from a 2:2 draw with Újpest with a 3:0 win over Győri ETO before this.
Celtic had the territory, the possession, and the opportunities. Ferencváros had the clinical edge when it mattered. The stadium fell silent in those opening minutes of the second half, and the hosts have a lot to explain before their next European fixture.
