Celtic beat Besiktas 3-2 as Osmand and Duran inspire Europa League win

Martin O’Neill’s Substitutions Revive Celtic’s European Campaign Against Besiktas

Junior Olaitan scored from a penalty rebound in the second half at Celtic Park, a moment that threatened to hand Celtic a fifth consecutive European defeat for the first time in the club’s history. But the introduction of Callum Osmand, Camilo Duran, and Colby Donovan just after the hour mark shifted the match entirely.

Osmand entered the field and scored the equalizer with his first touch less than a minute later. He then collected a pass from Osmand, who rounded the goalkeeper to put the Hoops in front.

On the Match: Callum Osmand speaks after Celtic’s Europa League victory over Beşiktaş (05/11/26)

With five minutes remaining, Besiktas substitute Orkun Kokcu fired a 25-yard strike into the bottom corner to level the score. Two minutes later, Duran picked up the ball from Kieran Tierney, took his time, and poked the ball into the net to restore the Hoops’ lead.

Match Statistics and Key Incidents at Celtic Park

The encounter opened with early pressure from the hosts. In the eighth minute, Sebastian Tounekti created a chance by crossing into the box for Benjamin Nygren, whose effort went wide. Cameron Carter-Vickers intervened defensively in the 11th minute to stop Leandro Trossard from shooting.

https://t.co/M9sZuCCWWW

— https://x.com/CelticFC/status/2118466700634996876

Kasper Hogh awaited a cross from Tounekti in the 26th minute, but the delivery was diverted for a corner. James Forrest registered Celtic’s first shot on target in the 50th minute, driving into the box from wide and firing low toward Alexander Nubel, who saved.

The game turned in the 52nd minute when Jordan Lotomba conceded a penalty with a challenge on Ernest Poku. Sam Johnstone saved Olaitan’s spot-kick, but Olaitan scored the rebound to put Besiktas ahead.

Following the substitutions, Celtic capitalized on their attacking momentum. Osmand struck in the 65th minute. Liam Scales then had a deflected header pushed over the bar by Nubel in the 67th minute. Duran netted his first goal in the 79th minute before Kokcu responded for Besiktas in the 85th minute, setting up Duran’s 87th-minute winner.

Managerial Reaction and Standing in the Europa League

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill reflected on the result after the final whistle, pointing to the character shown across the squad.

Celtic vs. Beşiktaş: Extended Highlights | UEL League Phase MD 4 | CBS Sports

“We’ve given ourselves a chance because of the result,” O’Neill said. “The game was pretty difficult but we came through it, we came through it with flying colours. I just said to the team, they were a credit to the football club and you can’t get a bigger accolade than that.”

O’Neill highlighted the performances of Tierney, the back four, Colby coming on to a game, and Mika Baur in the middle of the pitch.

Sky Sports’ Gordon Duncan noted the shift in performance at Celtic Park, questioning where the team’s second-half intensity had been during the preceding two months. Despite the victory, Celtic remains in the bottom 12 of the Europa League table with four fixtures remaining to contest for a spot in the knockout stages.

61' – Subs for Celtic: 🔛 Osmand, Durán & Donovan ↩ Tounekti, Forrest & Lotomba 🟩0️⃣-1️⃣⬜️ #CelticBeşiktaş | #UEL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/7ZeglVyczz

— https://x.com/CelticFC/status/2118453044413411677