Ten-man Celtic battle to valuable point in Bologna

Hoops hold firm after dramatic collapse

Ten-man Celtic surrendered a two-goal half-time lead but clung on for what could prove a crucial Europa League point after a dramatic 2–2 draw away to Bologna.

Reo Hatate opened the scoring early before being sent off after two yellow cards in quick succession, while Auston Trusty doubled Celtic’s advantage. Bologna dominated the second half and eventually hit back through Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe, but the visitors showed resilience to escape with a draw.

The point lifts Celtic to eight in the group, meaning victory at home to already-eliminated Utrecht next week should be enough to secure a playoff spot.

Early gift gives Celtic control

Celtic made a dream start inside six minutes after a major error from Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski. His loose pass went straight to Daizen Maeda, who unselfishly squared for Hatate to roll the ball into an empty net.

Skorupski partially redeemed himself soon after, clawing Yang Hyun-Jun’s effort over the bar, while Liam Scales came close from the resulting corner as Celtic continued to press.

Pressure builds and red card changes the game

Bologna gradually grew into the contest and Kasper Schmeichel was forced into action, saving from Nadir Zortea before Celtic briefly dropped to 10 men while Maeda dealt with a contact lens issue.

Hatate’s night turned sour in the 34th minute. Already booked for a foul on Lewis Ferguson, he was shown a second yellow for a needless high boot on Juan Miranda while chasing a loose ball. Manager Martin O’Neill was also booked for his protests.

Trusty doubles the lead

Despite the dismissal, Celtic struck again five minutes before the break. Arne Engels headed on Kieran Tierney’s inswinging corner and Trusty arrived at the back post to smash the ball in off the bar, sending the travelling support into raptures.

Schmeichel preserved the two-goal cushion before half-time with saves from Tommaso Pobega as Celtic headed into the break with a shock advantage.

Bologna onslaught after the break

The second half was almost entirely one-way traffic. Schmeichel produced a series of outstanding saves, denying Ferguson, Nicolo Casale and Benjamín Domínguez, who rattled the bar as Bologna piled on the pressure.

The breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute when Dallinga glanced Jens Odgaard’s flick-on past Schmeichel from close range.

Celtic dropped deeper, with Maeda effectively operating as a wing-back, but the equaliser arrived in the 72nd minute. Rowe evaded a challenge on the edge of the box before smashing an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net.

Late chances at both ends

Despite being under siege for much of the half, Celtic nearly stole it. Johnny Kenny forced a save and Liam Scales saw a looping header tipped over, while Bologna continued to threaten through Riccardo Orsolini and Nicolò Cambiaghi.

In the end, Celtic’s resolve earned a hard-fought draw that could prove decisive in their Europa League campaign.