Celtic fight back to beat Sturm Graz

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Celtic 2 - 1 Sturm Graz

Celtic mounted an impressive second-half surge to secure their first Europa League victory of the campaign and overcome 10-man Sturm Graz.

Author | Sean M

Stadium | Celtic Park

Europa League | Celtic v Sturm Graz | View from the away end
Celtic corner

Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren struck in quick succession as Brendan Rodgers’ side finally found their rhythm, much to the delight of a relieved Celtic Park crowd.

The Scottish champions entered the night under scrutiny, with only a single point from their opening two group fixtures and a league defeat by Dundee still fresh in the mind.

Given testing away trips to Midtjylland and Feyenoord looming next month, the need for three points here felt crucial.

Closer analysis of what happened in Glasgow

Europa League | Celtic v Sturm Graz | Pre-match huddle
Pre-match huddle

There was early frustration, followed by Kelechi Iheanacho limping off within minutes. It did appear to be a worrying sign.

Celtic’s energy and ambition were clear, but their end product remained elusive, even as they carved out a series of clear chances. Sturm took a very different approach, punishing Celtic’s wastefulness with a stunning long-range strike from Tomi Horvat that soared into the top corner.

The hosts rallied but another setback arrived when Alistair Johnston was forced off on his return from injury. A slice of fortune helped shift momentum when Kasper Schmeichel’s post denied Otar Kiteishvili from doubling the visitors’ lead.

READ MORE | Europa League news and stories from the 25/26 season

Celtic continued to create at will. Scales finally dragged them level with a calm finish, before Nygren made up for earlier misses by nodding in a second moments later. Sturm’s hopes faded further when Tochi Chukwuani was dismissed on 70 minutes for a high challenge on Callum McGregor.

It was a night Celtic needed to get right. Rodgers will hope this marks a genuine step forward in their European campaign.

A huge boost for the Celtic boss and his players

This victory felt like a much-needed lift after a stuttering start to the season. Brendan Rodgers called for a spark, and his players delivered greater urgency and resilience, overcoming injuries and missed chances to finally earn their reward. Sturm Graz arrived buoyed by a recent win over Rangers and might have opened up a bigger lead, yet Celtic kept pushing and turned the contest in their favour.

The result offers a timely confidence boost with a crucial Premiership trip to Hearts looming. Concerns remain over squad depth, particularly in attack and defence, but this performance showed signs of a team rediscovering its edge. At a moment when little seemed to be falling their way, Celtic managed to shift the narrative and give themselves something to build on.

Location: Janefield St, Glasgow G40 3RE, UK

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