Celtic

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Defender Colby Donovan insists Celtic are looking to go far in the Europa League and shrug off the disappointment of the League Cup defeat to Rangers.

Martin O'Neill's side failed to progress to the Champions League after surrendering a four-goal lead to LASK in Austria in the play-off second leg.

That confirmed a Europa League place with the home tie against Ferencvaros on Thursday their opening fixture of the league stage.

"We know what happened in the Champions League, it's not great for us," Donovan said.

"But we know the Europa League is a big competition. Last year there were a lot of games I played in, a lot of experience I got in this competition. We're hoping this year we can go far and hopefully do better than we did last year."

Donovan believes the quick turnaround after losing 3-0 to Rangers - who visit Celtic Park on league duty this Sunday - is a positive to help the squad shrug off what was a major disappointment for the club.

"You never want to get beat off your fierce rivals. That's not a Celtic team, that wasn't us on Sunday. It wasn't a great on our side, it hurt a lot, but you've got to put that aside now," the 20-year-old said.

"That's a good thing about being in Europe. When there are bad moments that happen you've got a game every three days, so you've got a chance to get back on track.

"We take a big ownership of what happened on Sunday and we know we weren't at our best. [Ferencvaros] is a huge game for us and we know we need to repay the fans. We just want to put a real marker down and get us building again."

Donovan also shared his delight at his first Scotland call-up, with new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli adding freshness to his set-up.

"I'm over the moon," he said. "As a young player, it's always a big achievement to play for your country, you want to represent them. I can't wait for it to come.

"Hopefully, I go over there and he sees the real potential in me and hopefully gives me a chance."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Manager Martin O'Neill has been speaking to the media before Celtic's opening Europa League match at home to Ferencvaros on Thursday (20:00 BST)

Here are the key points:

• O'Neill confirmed forward Camilo Duran is fit and available having missed training on Wednesday after travelling to London for a visa in relation to a Colombia call-up.

• The Northern Irishman insists Celtic are looking to "get off to a decent start" in the Europa League and he may have to make changes to the side given the demands of this week, facing Rangers twice either side of this fixture amid a run of "seven games in 22 days".

• O'Neill conceded the players are hurting after exiting the League Cup at Ibrox last Sunday. He adds: "We disappointed ourselves, we disappointed our fans and we just have to rise to the occasion. Defeat should hurt. We've done it before. We'll get ourselves right."

• He says the 3-0 derby defeat was an "eye-opener" for some of Celtic's new signings, adding: "You've got to find out about players, whether they're capable of dealing with these games. Hopefully, they will be."

• The manager pointed to last season's title surge when Celtic found a way to win games "when the odds were piled against us" as inspiration for the immediate challenges ahead. "The season will be tough, tomorrow will be tough. It's up to us to find ways to win football matches regardless of who plays," he says.

• When questioned on how to best use Duran given how he has performed as a central striker, O'Neill explained: "He has played in a number of positions for us. I think his best position is either centre forward himself or just off the centre forward. So it's up to us now to develop ways to get the very best out of him."

• On the size of challenge against Ferencvaros: "They will be tough. They have three lads who are exceptional players and will cause us lots of problems."

• O'Neill is "delighted" for 20-year-old Celtic right-back Colby Donovan to have earned a "deserved" first Scotland call-up.

Image source, SNS

• Celtic have met Ferencvaros three times in European competition, losing 2-1 at Parkhead in a one-legged Champions League second-round qualifier in 2020 before beating the Hungarians 2-0 at home and 3-2 away in the group stages of the 2021-22 Europa League.

• Celtic haven't drawn any of their past 22 home matches in the Europa League since a 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce in October 2015 (W11 L11), losing three of their last five on home soil.

• Ferencvaros have only lost one of their past nine group games in the Europa League (W5 D3), losing 4-0 at Nottingham Forest in their final group match of 2025-26.

• Six of Ferencvaros' 17 goals in the Europa League last season came via crosses, the most of any side.

• Celtic's Callum McGregor has played 74 times in major European competition for the club, the most of any player in Celtic's history. He could become the fifth Scotsman with 75+ games in Europe, after Allan McGregor (78), Billy Bremner (76), David Narey (76) and Kenny Dalglish (75).

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John Beaton is the referee - and Nick Walsh the VAR - on Sunday for Rangers' Premiership visit to Celtic in the second Old Firm derby of the season.

Beaton will be assisted at Celtic Park by David McGeachie and Jonathan Bell, with Grant Irvine alongside Walsh in the VAR room.

The Glasgow rivals meet for the second successive weekend after Rangers progressed to the League Cup semi-finals with a commanding 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox.

Beaton took charge of one Old Firm derby last season, the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in March where Celtic rallied from two down for a point.

Former Celtic captain Scott Brown hopes recent signing Oliver Sorensen, 24, can provide "physicality" in the Scottish champions' midfield. (Sun, external)

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tino
Fan writer

There's been no shortage of debate since Sunday about what went wrong at Ibrox. And there's just so much to pick apart.

The midfield, the lack of intensity, the absence of control, and the way Rangers were able to impose themselves physically all across the park.

But the more I think about it the more I wonder if at least part of the problem comes back to something much simpler.

Did Celtic make life a lot harder for themselves by moving players away from the positions where they've been most effective?

And in particular, did they do that with Camilo Duran? The Colombian has been arguably Celtic's best player this season.

He has looked dangerous through the middle, carried a genuine goal threat, and given Celtic something they have been missing for a while.

In the three games Kasper Hogh missed through injury, Duran was used in his natural number nine role and provided three goals and two assists.

Then Hogh returned at St Johnstone and Duran was nudged out again. The same happened at Ibrox where he started on the right before switching to the left at half-time.

And although he can be dangerous from those areas too, we saw very little of that on Sunday.

This isn't about writing Hogh off. Far from it. I still think he'll score plenty of goals for Celtic.

But if accommodating both players weakens the one who has been most effective, the question has to be asked about why we've done so.

With Ferencvaros and Rangers coming next Martin O'Neill doesn't need to rip everything up. But he does need to make changes.

Return Duran to the middle - and if that means Hogh starts on the bench then so be it.

Take the underperforming Sebastian Tounekti out of the firing line and bring in the experience and steadiness of James Forrest, at least until Yang Hyun-jun returns.

And start Haissam Hassan on his favoured right-hand side.

But there's also a bold call to be made in midfield. For all Benji Nygren's goals and assists he can become too much of a luxury in games where Celtic need control.

Too often Callum McGregor and Mika Baur have been left with too much ground to cover and too much defensive work to do - and perhaps this is the moment for Oliver Sorensen to show why he was Midtjylland's player of the year in 2023-24.

That one change alone could give Celtic more stability, make us harder to play through, and create the platform for the attacking players to do what they do best.

There's always a temptation after a derby defeat to throw everyone under the bus. But there have still been genuine reasons for optimism this season and Duran is one of the biggest.

Martin O'Neill has described him as a "special player". So play him where he can be most special.

Defeats like Sunday are painful, but can be useful if you learn from them quickly. To make no meaningful changes after what happened at Ibrox would be criminal.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Celtic defender Colby Donovan has been handed a first Scotland call-up by new national boss Sebastien Pocognoli.

The 20-year-old has made 10 appearances for Celtic this season, where he is preferred at right-back ahead of Scotland international Anthony Ralston in the injury absence of Alistair Johnston.

Donovan joins clubmate Kieran Tierney in Pocognoli's 28-man squad for the opening four Nations League games.

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Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has "great concerns" for Martin O'Neill's side after Rangers "ran all over" them in Sunday's chastening derby defeat.

Sutton pinpoints Celtic's "lightweight" midfield as the root of their problems, with Belgium international Arne Engels a glaring loss since his summer exit to West Ham.

After being knocked out of the League Cup quarter-finals by their Glasgow rivals, Celtic begin their Europa League camapign at home to Ferencvaros on Thursday before hosting Rangers on Premiership duty three days later.

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "I think that was a hugely significant win for Derek McInnes.

"Rangers needed a statement victory. There was a lot of talk going into the game about which manager was under most pressure.

"But the way he set his team up – left-back James Penrice played an inverted role in midfield and Derek's teams over the years, he likes to go man for man - they ran all over Celtic. Physically, they were far, far superior.

"I have great concerns about Celtic. I've said this since the start of the season – Celtic's midfield is lightweight. Talented but lightweight.

"They can't run, they don't have the legs. [Callum] McGregor has been a brilliant player. [Benjamin] Nygren has a brilliant instinct for goals but can't run. They've brought in [Mika] Baur from Germany and they just got outpowered. Rangers were far more robust and ran all over them.

"Celtic have big issues. The other big test they've had this season – away to LASK in the Champions League was a disastrous performance where, guess what, they got ran all over in midfield.

"They haven't replaced Engels like for like for profile. So they don't have that legs, energy, someone who can cover the ground in midfield. It's okay being a good footballer. Celtic have a midfield who are good at five-a-sides – but the game is played on a big pitch. You have to be able to cover the ground and compete.

"It just feels like Celtic, the way the club is run, just want to do enough, just finish ahead of Rangers and Hearts."

Sutton was bemused by O'Neill's decision to start Sebastian Tounekti - who was hooked at half-time - rather than Haissem Hassan at Ibrox.

"I didn't agree with the Celtic starting line-up," he said. "I haven't seen anybody able to handle Hassan's dribbling ability but he was on the bench. I thought that handed Rangers a massive initiative and Celtic were never really in the game.

"They've got the Europa League this week and Rangers, with no Europe, are in a pretty good position. This may all change at the weekend if Rangers go under at Celtic Park, but the lift the Rangers players got from that performance does feel significant. It's up to Celtic to respond.

"The problem O'Neill has is, what can he change? Celtic have been flat-track bullies this season – beating teams you expect them to beat – but in the big tests they have come up well short.

"O'Neill was on record about the need to replace Engels, that profile of player, but they haven't done that. It is taking a risk."

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Manager Martin O'Neill will have to face criticism over his Celtic team selection in Sunday's derby defeat to Rangers after "too many players didn't show up" at Ibrox, says former striker Cillian Sheridan.

The ex-forward was shocked to see winger Sebastian Tounekti start ahead of summer signing Haissem Hassan, who was introduced as a half-time substitute in the 3-0 League Cup quarter-final loss.

Sheridan says it will be no surprise to see O'Neill change his line-up for Thursday's Europa League opener at home to Ferencvaros, which comes just three days before a rematch with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, Sheridan said: "I can imagine personnel changing [on Thursday] because I think there were too many players that didn't show up against Rangers.

"I was surprised that Tounekti started. I thought the game was built for Hassan and to see the front three of Hassan, Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran.

"If there were worries over Hassan's fitness, you start him and give him 60 minutes. I just knew as soon as the team was announced that that half-time change was coming.

"O'Neill will maybe take a little bit of criticism, probably for his selections and one or two subs he made.

"At clubs like Celtic and Rangers, as soon as one bad result comes, it's magnified and the season's in crisis."

We asked for your views after Rangers put three goals past Celtic to book their place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Paul: Celtic inexplicably didn't turn up for the game and it was another puzzling result for Martin O'Neill to sift through and analyse, wondering what to make of his team's dismal overall performance. All three goals were conceded by abysmally poor marking, and at this level you will be severely punished for it.

John: As bad as last season was at times for Celtic fans, the performances against LASK (second half) and Rangers are worse than anything they've seen in years. Similar in the fact that, under pressure, players hid and shrank from the challenge. And, in both games, the team looked clueless in defence and attack.

Malcolm: No spectators on the terraces but we had quite a few on the pitch! Too many hiding away from the fight, no passion, no pride. We gave Rangers exactly the game they wanted. I don't think a week is long enough to fix all the problems before we play them again.

Bert: Having sold Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, Celtic are trying to tell us the team is stronger. Two crushing defeats in big games prove it's not.

Neil: Team selection choices raise concerns. Sebastian Tounekti looks out of his depth. I'm starting to fear Kasper Hogh is not the player we think he is. We were second best. Rangers were up for this game and showed more passion and deserved the win.

Liam: This was no surprise to anybody who actually watches football. We lack a system and, vitally, a quality midfield. Wide open the whole game. O'Neill needs to change things to get the best out of what he has.

Image source, Getty Images

Celtic and Championship clubs in England are eyeing a move for Liverpool defender Luke Chambers, 22, in January. (Football Insider, external)

Monday's Scottish gossip

Rangers progressed to the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals as they delivered an emphatic and dominant win over Celtic at Ibrox.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill: "We were well beaten. The 3-0 scoreline doesn't hide it, it was a tough afternoon for us.

"We were well in the game early on, even at half time, but they were stronger than us on the day and they deserved to win.

"I think throughout the first half we, in really good positions, gave the ball away, we had three or four brilliant opportunities on the counter-attack and wasted them.

"Everything Rangers did I expected them to do. Whatever way Rangers set up, they're not going to give me a call and say what they're going to do so we had to counter that.

"Next Sunday will be a different ball game but we've got the home crowd with us and if they make the same sort of noise as Rangers made today that will be very helpful. We can learn from this and that's the most important thing, we need to.

"If you've been beaten in the game you always think about selection. I will think about my own part in proceedings and then we'll see. I wanted people to experience this atmosphere and they certainly did today.

"This is a setback today and hopefully a learning curve for us."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

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• Celtic have won the past six League Cup meetings between the clubs since losing the final to Rangers in 2011.

• Celtic's last League Cup win at Ibrox was in the groups in 1973. They also beat Rangers in the semis that season - but have never won a League Cup knockout tie in Govan.

• Celtic have only won four of their previous 14 games against Rangersat Ibrox.

• Rangers have only failed to get to the semis once in the past decade.

• Celtic haven't lost at the quarter-final stage since 2009, when Hearts beat them 1-0 at Celtic Park thanks to a Michael Stewart penalty - current coach Stephen McManus was sent off late in the tie.

• Martin O'Neill's record at Ibrox: Played 11, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 4.

• Derek McInnes' record against Celtic: Played 61, Won 10, Drawn 4, Lost 47.