Celtic 3-2 Besiktas – Osmand and Duran serve up a Turkish Delight
Celtic 3-2 Besiktas: Duran delivers a Paradise thriller as the Hoops finally claim European victory…
There are European nights at Celtic Park that live long in the memory, and then there are nights like this one.
Celtic finally got their Europa League campaign up and running with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Turkish giants Besiktas, producing a stirring late comeback to give the supporters at Paradise something to celebrate.
For Martin O’Neill and his players, this was about considerably more than three points. After a desperately disappointing start to their European campaign, the Hoops desperately needed a performance, a result and, above all, a reminder of what Celtic Park can be capable of when the team and supporters are pulling in the same direction.
Tonight they got all three.
And when Camilo Durán struck his second goal of the evening in the 87th minute, the celebrations told their own story.
A frustrating first half
O’Neill made five changes to the side which had suffered a 2-0 defeat at Falkirk, with Jordan Lotomba making his first start for the club. James Forrest, Benjamin Nygren, Sebastian Tounekti and Kasper Høgh were also brought into the starting eleven.
The intention was clear. Celtic needed fresh energy, greater attacking purpose and a performance capable of lifting a support which had endured a difficult European campaign.
The opening period, however, proved frustrating for the 50,000 Celtic supporters who stuck with this European campaign despite the bumps and bruises picked up along the way.
Celtic enjoyed moments of possession but struggled to turn that into clear-cut opportunities.
Nygren had an early effort from the edge of the box which went wide, while a cleverly worked free-kick routine failed to produce the breakthrough.
The Istanbul outfit were well organised and looked comfortable enough dealing with Celtic’s attempts to find a way through.
The visitors had arrived in Glasgow with an unbeaten European record and demonstrated why they had proved difficult opponents for their previous opponents.
Celtic went into the interval with the scores level at 0-0, knowing that a much-improved second-half display would be required.
A setback, followed by a response
The second half began in the worst possible fashion for the home support.
Nine minutes after the restart, Besiktas were awarded a penalty. Junior Olaitan stepped forward to take responsibility, and although Sam Johnstone initially did brilliantly to get a hand to the spot-kick, the ball looped upwards and fell kindly for the Turkish midfielder to convert the rebound.
Celtic were behind, and the prospect of another miserable European evening suddenly looked very real.
But this time there was a response.
O’Neill turned to his substitutes, introducing Callum Osmand, and the youngster made an immediate impact. Just eight minutes after Olaitan’s opener, the youngster collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area and produced an excellent finish into the bottom corner.
62 minutes — Celtic 1-1 Beşiktaş
It was a terrific contribution from the young forward and precisely the sort of intervention Celtic needed. The equaliser lifted the stadium and gave the home side renewed belief.
Celtic began to play with greater conviction, moving the ball forward more purposefully and putting the Besiktas defence under increasing pressure.
The visitors’ goalkeeper Alexander Nübel was called upon to make an important save as the Hoops pushed for a second. Nygren also threatened, although his effort sailed over the crossbar.
For the first time in the evening, Celtic looked capable of taking control.
Duran takes centre stage
The decisive moment appeared to arrive in the 79th minute.
Osmand, having already announced himself from the bench, turned provider with an excellent pass through the Besiktas defence. Duran timed his run perfectly, got to the ball ahead of Nübel, rounded the goalkeeper and calmly rolled it into an empty net.
79 minutes — Celtic 2-1 Besiktas
It was a beautifully executed counter-attacking move and a goal which seemed to have completed Celtic’s turnaround.
Paradise was rocking. The players had found their energy, the supporters had found their voice, and a European victory was suddenly within touching distance.
But football rarely this season makes things straightforward for Celtic.
With five minutes remaining, Besiktas produced a moment of real quality. Orkun Kökçü picked up possession around 25 yards from goal and unleashed a superb strike into the bottom corner, leaving Johnstone with little chance.
Pat Bonner, the former Celtic keeper, reckoned that the Englishman could have save it had he been a few yards off his line.
But at 2-2, Celtic’s hard work appeared to have been undone.
There was a familiar feeling of frustration, but this time the Hoops refused to accept their fate.
The moment Paradise erupted
With the clock approaching 87 minutes, Celtic went looking for one final opportunity.
Kieran Tierney found space outside the penalty area and unleashed a shot towards goal. Duran was positioned in its path, took a touch and managed to bundle the ball over the line.
It was not the prettiest finish, but nobody inside Celtic Park was remotely concerned about that.
87 minutes — Celtic 3-2 Besiktas
Duran had his second of the evening, Celtic had regained the lead and Paradise erupted.
The final minutes were inevitably tense, but the Hoops held on to secure a precious victory and their first points of the Europa League campaign.
A victory to build on
There will be plenty for Martin O’Neill and his coaching staff to examine. Celtic were not at their best in the opening half, conceded a disappointing penalty and allowed Besiktas back into the contest almost immediately after taking the lead.
But there were also some hugely encouraging signs.
Osmand’s introduction changed the game, Duran demonstrated his eye for goal with two important finishes, and the team showed a determination to keep going even when Kökçü’s equaliser threatened to spoil the evening.
For Celtic supporters, the importance of this result should not be underestimated. Three consecutive defeats in the competition had left the Hoops with plenty of catching up to do, and another disappointing result would have made their European ambitions increasingly difficult to say the least.
Instead, Celtic have given themselves something to work with in this Europa League campaign.
The victory also provided another reminder of the value of the wonderful Celtic support. On European nights, Paradise can become an intimidating place for visiting teams, and the noise following Duran’s winning goal was everything that makes our football club very special indeed.
Martin O’Neill will know that there is still work to be done. Celtic must find greater consistency, particularly in the opening stages of matches, and cannot afford to give opponents the opportunities that Besiktas were presented with.
But tonight was about getting that first victory, restoring some confidence and giving the Celtic supporters a night to remember.
Camilo Duran will quite rightly take the headlines, Callum Osmand deserves enormous credit for his contribution, and Martin O’Neill will be delighted with the character his team demonstrated.
It finished Celtic 3 Besiktas 2. A classic European night, a dramatic finish and three very welcome points. what’s not to like?
Man of the Match – Camilo Duran
