UEFA Europa LeagueLeague phase, matchday threeThursday, October 23, 2025Celtic Park, Glasgow CELTIC…2(Scales 61, Nygren 64) STURM GRAZ…1(Horvat 15) Celtic gained their first victory over the UEFA Europa League campaign with a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Sturm Graz. Despite going a goal down in the first-half, goals from Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren after the break were enough to give Brendan Rodgers’ side a 2-1 victory at Paradise. The game had barely started when Celtic suffered their first injury blow when Kelechi Iheanacho was forced to come off after picking up a knock, with Johnny Kenny replacing him up front. And it was Sturm Graz who were on the front foot early in the game, with Otar Kiteishvili trying his luck from outside the area, although his effort went high and wide. With 13 minutes played, Celtic had a great chance to open the scoring when Johnny Kenny won the ball on the right touchline and surged towards goal, but his effort went just wide of the right-hand post. And two minutes later, the Austrian side took the lead when Tomi Horvat fired in an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out to make it 1-0. Celtic pushed for an equaliser, with Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren off target with headers, while Arne Engels had an effort blocked inside the area. But in the 23rd minute there was another injury blow for the Hoops when Alistair Johnston pulled up, appearing to hold his hamstring. The Canadian, making his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury back in August was replaced by Colby Donovan. Just after the half-hour mark, Kiteishvili came close to doubling Sturm Graz’s lead, but his shot from eight yards out hit the post. Celtic continued to create chances, with an Engels header cleared off the line, while Nygren put a header from six yards out wide of the target and Johnny Kenny had an effort saved at the keeper’s near post.Just 20 seconds into the second half and Celtic had a glorious chance to equalise when the ball fell kindly to Reo Hatate on the edge of the box. He did well to work it on to his left foot but his effort went narrowly over the bar. And Sturm Graz then had two great chances to score at the other end, with Horvat’s free-kick from just outside the area pushed behind by Kasper Schmeichel, and from the resulting corner, Stankovic headed just wide. With 10 minutes of the second-half gone, Nygren had another opportunity, but his header from six yards out also missed the target. The Swedish midfielder, playing wide on the right, had another close-range effort saved, but just after the hour mark Celtic got back on level terms when Liam Scales steered home Colby Donovan’s cutback. And just three minutes later, it was 2-1 to the Hoops when Nygren headed home from an Engels corner, giving them a lead that their endeavours deserved. Sturm Graz’s efforts to get back on level terms wasn’t helped when Tochi Chukwuani was red-carded for a bad challenge on Callum McGregor in the 70th minute. Johnny Kenny came close to scoring Celtic’s third of the night with 10 minutes remaining when he slip in to connect with an Engels cross, but his effort went wide, while moments later he headed over from a Kieran Tierney delivery from the left. Benjamin Nygren was then denied his second of the night in the 84th minute when his header from an Engels corner was tipped over the bar by the Sturm Graz keeper. And Michel-Ange Balikwisha, on as a substitute for Sebastian Tounekti, had a great chance in the last minute of the 90 when he cut inside from the left and curled a shot just wide of the target. It was a hard-fought but well-deserved win for Celtic, giving them four points after three games in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League.
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