In no sense were Ferencvaros capable of keeping Celtic out in Budapest last night. Yeah, yeah, the Hungarians said no away fans would be allowed into the Groupama Arena but ingenuity and bravado meant a sizeable chunk of the 500 who travelled made it all the way into the stadium. They weren’t hard to spot around the place, what with the bursts of celebration which erupted regularly through a cracking Europa League group game.
And if Ferencvaros couldn’t keep fans out there was no chance of them denying Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada. Celtic’s front three each helped themselves to a goal, all of them high quality, all of them showing technique, class and ruthless execution. It rewarded Celtic with a fine 3-2 win and guaranteed European football beyond Christmas. Ferencvaros can only get six points, which Celtic are already on having won their head-to-head with the Hungarians.
If Ange Postecoglou’s side finishes third they will enter the Europa Conference League knockout round in February. Claw back Real Betis — who are one point above them, and they meet at Parkhead in the final game — and they will break into the top two and fight on in the Europa League.
Next up is Bayer Leverkusen away on November 25. This was the usual buckle up for the ride night under Postecoglou, swinging between thrilling and heart-in-their-mouth stuff for their fans. The strikers were exhilarating, the defenders shaky, but it was a fine win.
At first the Ferencvaros support — it felt like the entire ground — loudly booed and jeered as the Celtic players and the Portuguese referee took the knee. Hungary were fined and ordered to play behind closed doors when Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham were subjected to racism in Budapest in September and there were incidents at the city’s Euro 2020 games too. The response to taking the knee left a bad taste in the mouth. After that the noise levels barely dipped, the home hard core barely missing a beat even when Celtic twice took the lead before half-time. Hard to believe there could be all that noise and backing and their team have yet to win a single European group game at home in 13 attempts.
Advertisement
The play was in its infancy, yet to settle into any pattern, when Celtic shot ahead. It was a night for pressing defenders into mistakes, for being in opponents’ faces and capitalising. Both teams did so and it was Celtic who helped themselves first. Eldar Civic took a poor touch and Liel Abada was on to it like a flash.
His low pass was slightly behind Kyogo Furuhashi but he had the technique and poise to still bring it under control, perform a turn which put defender Miha Blazic on his backside and then drill a low finish past Adam Bogdan. It went to a VAR check but the goal stood. Ferencvaros were unperturbed. They reacted as if the goal had not happened at all. They pressed high and aggressively, clearly believing there was vulnerability in Postecoglou’s defence. Stephen Welsh had a nervous spell, slipping and almost giving the ball away and then getting booked when his flailing arm caught Oleksandr Zubkov in the face. The Hungarians’ fed off the energy from that raucous, unrelenting support.
Celtic were sloppy. Casual defending and carelessness on the ball undermined them and encouraged Ferencvaros and there was a swift equaliser. Abada lost possession and when Tokmac Nguen played it wide to Zubkov the Ukrainian striker’s ball across the box took a major deflection off Josip Juranovic, the right-back shoe-horned into the left, and beat Joe Hart. It was desperately unlucky for Celtic but they looked uncomfortable as Ferencvaros flooded their half with bodies.
Still, never a dull moment watching a Postecoglou side. If unconvincing defending is too often one of their stereotypes so, too, is fast and clinical attacking play and menace. Within seconds of Hart saving a Civic shot, Celtic swept upfield and raced ahead again. Hart began a flowing move which had Callum McGregor passing to David Turnbull, whose movement brought Jota into the attack. Jota had been quiet but boy did he announce himself. Cutting in from the left he unloaded a fabulous shot which skipped off the inside of the post to beat Bogdan again. He blew a kiss towards Postecoglou and give him a thumbs-up.
The home reaction wasn’t so robust this time. Hart did have another save to make from Myrto Uzuni but Celtic had more composure and kept the ball better. The defence looked calmer and recycled it more comfortably. McGregor and Turnbull had a couple of shots, both wide.
Advertisement
It was open and entertaining throughout. Early in the second half Tokmac rattled Hart’s bar with a dipping shot from outside the box but Celtic came on strong. Anthony Ralston hit the bar too, with a header, then Furuhashi should have scored but his clipped finish was cleared off the line by Blazic.
No matter, another goal was not long delayed. McGregor found Furuhashi and his lovely through ball took out the Ferencvaros back line and fed Abada, whose movement was excellent and matched by his cool low finish into the far corner.
Celtic had the Hungarians at arm’s length at last, and then a last twist. Mikey Johnston gave it away and Myrto Uzuni cut in from the left without being closed down, applying a neat finish. Celtic fans can have no fingernails left.