I was chastised by a pal last week when I suggested the Europa League was an irrelevance right now. “We are Celtic,” he said, “We have to be competing in every competition.” Indeed.
Earlier in the season Bologna were riding high in Serie A and the Europa League. A run of 12 games unbeaten put them in contention for a Champions League spot and qualification for the next round of the Europa. The latter is still a nailed-on certainty, but only one Serie A win since November has seen them slip to 8th. Form has pivoted south so abruptly you might be tempted to check if they recruited a management team from the MLS.
A win at bottom side Verona last Thursday provided respite, but (then) third from last Fiorentina took all three points when the teams met on Sunday. This is not a happy time for football fans from the ancient city.
While form may be poor, Bologna are significantly stronger than any side Celtic will face domestically. To leave with as much as a point will take our best performance since our last Europa League away game, in Rotterdam. Some of the players’ confidence will be fortified by recent performances at Atalanta and Lazio – both better sides that the one we face tonight. An interesting test lies ahead.
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A great performance at a really important moment of the season.
Huge for the confidence of the entire group, they must have total belief in the manager now.
Jackiemac…no dilemma here, Ludogorets to win
H.H.
Ray, karrect. As I said weird.
Heart rate just dropping – absolute hero’s tonight. Trusty, Scales immense, to be honest I won’t keep naming the hero’s – the whole team after going down to ten where immense.
Rohl ffs dedicktive trex
Yeah the thinking man wants the Huns to win and keep Ludogrets below us.
Reo probably cost us 2 points tonight . I would have replaced him at half time even without the first yellow , as he was so poor .
The new striker and a couple more strong fast players will transform this Celtic team .
Great result , would take a draw every time against Italian teams , oh except the big wan …😜
At least Reo won’t be knackered for Sunday , Martin will take him aside and have a wee chat …😉
Utrecht have put the seconds out tonight in their place against Genk.
They’ve already written this competition off. They’ll field a weakened side next week too.
@Glendaly..Yes him and Tounetki…..
https://x.com/Selickpark/status/2014425945369616618
I forgot that we were down to ten men, so a draw away in Italy with 10 ……niiice!!
love it TLT
sencelpoty@gmail.com
Go on 3 top players from tonight for jobo.
Anyone can enter.
Goodnight all
If Reo doesn’t press alongside Maeda, we don’t score the opening goal. It was a remake of our opener at Easter Road with the roles reversed.
Hatate has had a red mist moment. We move on. And play him on Sunday so him and Maeda can press the life out of Hearts.
BOGNORBHOY on 22ND JANUARY 2026 8:09 PM
👍
Expect a match winning performance on Sunday once Martin has had a few words
AN DÚN on 22ND JANUARY 2026 8:14 PM
More like this please 👍
@leftclick Don’t know the gmail thing
But for me Maeda .Trusty Scales……..
I’m often nervous when we are playing and now I’m concerned about Sunday already. Have our players taken too much out of themselves, having to play so long this evening with 10 men? Hopefully, the confidence gained from such a performance and result will stand them in good stead.
Fantastic Bhoys.We will see where 11 points takes us after next round.REO up for it now.
You know,we are forever hearing on here,how we need a real hard enforcer type,in the middle,we are too soft.Oh really?About fekin 30 on here clutching at their Pearls for ,the first yellow,a tackle we see every week in Scotland.Not always yellow.The second is a joke,.Both fouling slightly,Hatate hits him on the back of the shoulder,like a puff of wind.Usual Tally histrionics.What chance would a hard man have with us.FFS,ourr fans would be running on attacking HIM.
Gies peace
Time will tell the importance of that result tonight.
It’s given us the chance to qualify, but for me it’s been another bit of healing and team building from Martin.
IF we had lost that after all the effort that had been put in, it could have been demoralising to a bunch of players that have been messed about, yet they have the reward now for all that work.
Foundations and belief being restored.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 22ND JANUARY 2026 8:18 PM
Hearts will be more worried than you are
Theyre missing 4 key players in shankland, Delvin, Baningime, and Kingsley and they’ll
have just watched us getting a result against a far better team than them with ten men.
They will know what defeat means for their season.
If scores stay as they are in all other games and Young Boys lose at Stuttgart next week then we only need a draw.
Weirdly a rangers win could also help us possibly qualify if we draw.
Missed the game due to kids footie training
How did we do
Caught Hatates 2nd yellow card – looked very soft
More to the point, it should have been a straight red for violent conduct
As opposed to a second yellow
If it was a straight red, VAR could have got involved and maybe punished the bologna player for his swing out?
Just listened to MON’s reaction to the game. Players out on their feet in the last 10 minutes; they all gave everything.
Hopefully, they can recover for Sunday.
Thoughts that went thru sellic heads during tonights game
Kick off don’t concede early
Goallllllll wtf…..cmon hoops
Hatate wtf Tounetki ..where are you……?
Goalllll Jesus H .Martin O’neill…..lalala
2nd half why we not attacking them They runnin amok…
Feck only a matter of time…..
Feck again……
We got to hold on…..A point is good…..
91ffs 92 ffs 94 jeezus 95 + yayyyyyyyyyyy
FSC,
Good pic.This is the problem.Not saying its cheating,but why no VAR check on this.They. look at every goal.His offside position a real Red light,but not for us.
Really great result. Really great performance. Really struggling with who I want to win at ibrox.
Ludogorets would mean we only have 1 option to get to next round if we draw next week.
Rangers is just unbearable that they get momentum. They get 3 co eff points anyway so as long as Porto beat them next week it doesn’t matter.
Shit Huns score
Huns score.
Outstanding Celtic team performance. Without Martin O’N that would not have happened. And a very timely confidence boost for Sunday.
Brilliant performance all round. DR headline – ‘Celtic survive Bologna battering…’. MON really has got the hun press spooked.
Roll on Sunday. We are playing like a team united. CalMac and KT are not going to give up our title.
PCS,
Players recover quickly.Huns beat us at Hampden,after ET after playing ET on the Thursday in Europa.
They are athletes.
More than a few on here could not even bring themselves to look forward to the match in Italy this evening. One, who shall remain nameless even got upset when I described the city that is Bologna as “historic”…
How small minded must you be? Tant Pis (in Italian).
Hoped more than hope that we would get a result as good as 2-2. Lets see where we are in the EL at full time this evening. Thats the third of four consecutive away games, a win @ Tynecastle would only add to what, in the circumstances, would be a great achievement for all involved.
Players tired for Sunday? I would prefer only two days’ rest with MON as motivator than two weeks’ rest with Nancy in charge.
Anyone know the typical training schedule after an away European game before weekend game? I’d be recommending lots of massage, stretching, sauna, ice baths etc for tomorrow and some light training, set piece practice and more massage on Saturday.
No need for anything heavy that will drain the legs further.
All about Rest and Recuperation.
(at least in my wee brain).
@Fritzsong nice positive post fellow Tim.
I feel the Minis are in for a doing on Sunday….
DENIABHOY
My wee brain agrees with your wee brain . -)))