European Super Football

Scotland 2 - 1 Belarus With supporters expecting goals against a beleaguered Belarus side who had already conceded 13 times in Group C, Scotland managed only two. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Hampden Park It might have been a far more uncomfortable evening for Steve Clarke, who was taking charge of his record 72nd match as men’s head coach. Evgeni Malashevich’s composed finish for what would have been a Belarus equaliser was ruled out following a VAR review, and Hleb Kuchko’s injury-time effort reduced the deficit with just minutes remaining. There were moments in the second half, with the score still 1-0, when unease spread around Hampden Park. Belarus were moving the ball confidently while Scotland sat deep, prompting boos from the stands. Those jeers returned at full time, mingling with scattered applause. It was a reaction born of frustration that had simmered from the start as Belarus played with more intent than many expected. Scotland’s smash-and-grab win over Greece...

Scotland 3 -  1 Greece Scotland moved closer to a World Cup play-off place as Lewis Ferguson scored his first international goal to inspire a dramatic comeback against a dominant Greece at Hampden. Author | Sean M Stadium | Hampden Park In his record-equalling 71st game in charge, head coach Steve Clarke’s side sought revenge for their Nations League relegation at the hands of Greece at the same stadium in March. For more than an hour, Scotland struggled against the visitors, who looked certain to be ahead by at least three goals before Roma left-back Kostas Tsimikas converted a rebound just after the hour. The Tartan Army voiced their frustration loudly, but Ryan Christie quickly restored parity from a corner, with his effort surviving a lengthy VAR review, setting the stage for a remarkable turnaround. Ferguson then struck from close range following a scrappy free-kick with 10 minutes remaining, turning tension into euphoria as Clarke’s side seized a priceless lead. The victo...

Celtic 2 - 0 Braga Celtic suffered further European disappointment as goals in each half and a controversial disallowed equaliser earned Braga victory in what was a chaotic encounter. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Kick-off Kasper Schmeichel had an error-strewn game in goal and failed to keep out Ricardo Horta 's early long-range effort, which stunned the Celtic Park crowd into silence. The Dane then did well to keep out a late shot but was helpless when the ball bounced off Gabri Martinez in a botched clearance and rebounded into the net to seal all the points. After their Champions League qualification failure against Kairat Almaty , and an opening Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade , this continued Celtic's disappointing start to their European campaign. In fact, so sharp has been the drop-off since last season, that Brendan Rodgers ' side may struggle to qualify for the latter stages of the Europa League unless they can find their way again, and q...

Red Star Belgrade 1 - 1 Celtic Celtic earned a hard-fought point in their Europa League opener against Red Star Belgrade in a contest that rarely sparked into life. Author |  Sean M Stadium | Stadion Rajko Mitić Celtic fans watch on in the background Second-half goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Marko Arnautovic ensured the spoils were shared, though neither side offered much to suggest they would have belonged at Europe’s top table. Iheanacho, reunited with Brendan Rodgers after joining late in the transfer window , replaced the ineffective Daizen Maeda at the interval and justified the change almost immediately. The former Manchester City and Leicester forward latched on to a clever pass from summer signing Benjamin Nygren and finished calmly past goalkeeper Matheus, moments after squandering a simpler chance from close range. Red Star, however, had threatened before the break. Bruno Duarte struck the side netting and later rattled the crossbar in a first half where the hosts look...

Belarus 0 - 2 Scotland Scotland claimed a straightforward but valuable win over Belarus to maintain their promising start to World Cup qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | ZTE-Aréna  Friday’s battling draw in Denmark had been hard won but risked being diminished had Steve Clarke ’s side slipped against the group’s lowest-ranked team. There was little danger of that once Che Adams struck the opener before forcing the own goal that sealed the points after the interval. Closer look at what happened With no atmosphere to feed off, the onus was on Scotland to create their own intensity. This had the potential to be a difficult match.  Clarke made four changes, one of them recalling Bournemouth’s Ben Gannon Doak. The 19-year-old was the player who most often quickened the pulse with his direct running, even if his final ball occasionally lacked precision. More established figures again carried the threat, with Scott McTominay heading John McGinn ’s cross into Adams’ path fo...

Denmark 0 - 0 Scotland Scotland began their bid to reach a first World Cup since 1998 with a valuable draw against Denmark in a feverish atmosphere. Author | Sean M Stadium | Parken Stadium Pre-match atmosphere Steve Clarke’s side, who were swept aside on their last visit four years ago, stood firm this time and even threatened to claim a famous victory in Copenhagen, something not achieved since 1975. Ryan Christie nodded narrowly wide and John McGinn spurned a good chance at the far post during a first half that exceeded expectations. After the interval Scott McTominay wriggled to the byline only for Kasper Schmeichel to save, while Lyndon Dykes delayed fatally when the goal beckoned. Denmark were restricted mostly to speculative efforts until the closing minutes, when Angus Gunn had to react sharply to Rasmus Højlund’s volley. Scotland ’s resilience was matched by a touch of fortune as substitute Max Johnston escaped with only a yellow card after handling to deny a clear opportunit...

Celtic have signed Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer Brendan Rodgers has backed the forward to make a significant impact after the Nigerian striker joined the club as a free agent just before the Europa League. Author | Sean M The 28-year-old has signed a one-year deal in Glasgow, only a day after agreeing to terminate his contract with Sevilla. His arrival comes amid mounting frustration from supporters over the club’s failure to bring in a forward on transfer deadline day. Iheanacho has not played any football since May. This was a late substitute appearance in Nigeria's friendly draw with Jamaica. Despite the backlash, Rodgers was confident his new signing would settle quickly. His pedigree is not in doubt. For Nigeria he has scored 15 times in 58 appearances, playing a part in their run to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2023. Tipped for stardom as a teenager, he was nominated for the Fifa Golden Boy award in 2016 and made his Manchester City debut at 18. He scored 2...

Kairat 0 - 0 Celtic (The match finished 0-0 on aggregate) Kairat won 3-2 on penalties Celtic’s Champions League hopes came to a shuddering halt in Kazakhstan as Brendan Rodgers’ side crashed out on penalties to Kairat Almaty, failing to score across 210 minutes of football. Author | Sean M Stadium | Ortalyq stadıon Substitute Adam Idah saw his opening spot-kick saved, while goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov denied Luke McCowan and, crucially, Daizen Maeda to seal a 3-2 shootout win. It was a historic night for Kairat , who reached the group stage for the first time in their history. Maeda had earlier wasted Celtic ’s best chance, blazing over from close range five minutes from the end of normal time after latching on to a Callum McGregor through ball. McCowan also came close in extra time with a fierce strike that was pushed away. A closer look at what happened The prelude to this tie had been dominated by criticism of Celtic’s lacklustre first-leg display and the absence of meani...

Celtic 0 - 0 Kairat Celtic’s Champions League prospects remain finely poised after they were held to a goalless draw in Glasgow by a spirited Kairat side. Author | Sean M Stadium | Celtic Park The £40m prize now depends on navigating a testing return leg, with Brendan Rodgers ’ team facing a decisive trip to Almaty on Tuesday. The Scottish champions must contend not only with a long journey of more than 3,500 miles but also the challenge of performing in unfamiliar conditions close to the Chinese border . It might have been worse for Rodgers’ side, who were relieved to see an early Kairat strike ruled out for offside. Their nerves were tested again when Edmilson’s long-range effort, following a mistake from Cameron Carter-Vickers , drifted narrowly over the bar. Celtic were almost undone by an own goal late on, with some desperate defending required to keep Kairat from snatching a winner. READ MORE | Live text commentary from Super Local Sports News An early setback came when ri...

Hibernian 2 - 3 Partizan Belgrade (Hibernian won 4-3 on aggregate) Hibernian survived a major scare against 10-man Partizan Belgrade as Chris Cadden’s extra-time strike sealed an aggregate win and a place in the Conference League play-off round. Author | Sean M Stadium |  Easter Road Hibs players and fans celebrate After rotating his squad at the weekend, David Gray reverted to a more familiar starting eleven, with Jamie McGrath the only change from the first leg in Serbia. The Irish midfielder failed a late fitness test, handing Josh Campbell a place in the side. Easter Road crackled with energy at kick-off, the stands packed as Martin Boyle led out the team to a raucous reception. A closer look at what happened on the match Partizan wiped out the advantage with two goals in the first half, both the result of errors from goalkeeper Jordan Smith . He failed to hold Milan Vukotic ’s long-range strike, then allowed Jovan Milosevic ’s tame shot to slip under him. Kieron Bowie r...

Hibernian 1 - 2 Midtjylland (Midtjylland won 3-2 on aggregate) Hibernian suffered European heartache as Junior Brumado's sensational goal for Midtjylland in the last moments of extra-time knocked them out of Europa League qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | Easter Road A bumper crowd inside Easter Road were silenced by the piece of brilliance from the Brazilian, whose winner came as the game looked destined for a penalty shootout. The second-round tie was finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg, and it took until four minutes into extra-time in Edinburgh before Dario Osorio's powerful strike from distance opened the scoring in the second. Rocky Bushiri responded to draw Hibs level as bedlam ensued in the stands, but Brumado would have the final say with a magical finish. Hibernian now drop into Conference League qualifying where they will face Partizan Belgrade next week. More analysis of what happened After holding their own in Denmark against seasoned European camp...

 St Joseph's 0 - 4 Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers all but booked their place in the next round of the UEFA Conference League with a dominant first-leg victory over St Joseph’s in Gibraltar. Author | Sean M Stadium | Europa Point A great night in Europe for Shamrock Rovers. [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social ) 24 July 2025 at 21:26 A polished attacking display saw the League of Ireland champions dismantle their opponents, with three second-half goals in quick succession effectively ending the tie as a contest. Barring an unlikely turnaround in next week’s return leg, Stephen Bradley’s side will face either Floriana of Malta or Kosovo’s Ballkani in the third qualifying round. A closer look at what happened in Gibraltar Rory Gaffney opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a composed finish, latching on to Dylan Watts’ lofted pass before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Bradley Banda. Despite a few early scares, the visitors gradually took...

Celtic v Aberdeen preview Scottish football’s marquee fixture takes centre stage on Saturday as Celtic, the defending champions, face Aberdeen in the final of the Scottish Cup. Author | Sean M Celtic line up before their Scottish Cup sem i-final Brendan Rodgers’ side lifted the trophy last season with a 1-0 victory over Rangers, courtesy of a dramatic late winner from Adam Idah. Aberdeen, meanwhile, return to the final for the first time since 2017,.a year when they were edged out by Celtic in similarly heart-breaking fashion, as Tom Rogic’s late solo effort clinched the cup. A history of drama in recent meetings The two sides are no strangers to high-stakes clashes in this competition. Their most recent encounter came in this year’s semi-final – a pulsating 3-3 draw that went all the way to penalties, with Celtic eventually prevailing after a frenetic contest that showcased the very best of Scottish football. READ MORE | Latest Celtic news and stories In 2020, the sides met behind...

Celtic 3 - 1 Hibernian Celtic fought back from a goal down to stretch Hibernian's winless run at Parkhead to 22 games. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park Traveling to face the Scottish Premiership champions during a stunning run of form that included a victory over Celtic at Easter Road in February, third-place Hibs opened the scoring when Martin Boyle took advantage of Auston Trusty's poor defending. Celtic always appeared dangerous in attack and equalized when Nicolas Kuhn received a ball played in behind, rounded goalkeeper Jordan Smith and finished. You never felt that Hibernian were going to win at that point. Ultimately, it would be very comfortable for Celtic.  READ MORE: Celtic news and stories from European Super Football Four minutes later, German winger Kuhn set up striker Adam Idah with a delightful chip over the Hibs defense, putting Rodgers' side ahead at halftime. Despite a strong start to the second half, with Rocky Bushiri narrowly heading wide from ...

Falkirk 3 - 1 Hamilton Academical Falkirk came from behind against their relegated visitors to seal promotion to the Scottish Premiership Author - Sean M Stadium - Falkirk Stadium Livingston's failure to beat Partick Thistle eased Falkirk's passage, as the league leaders held off a late surge from David Martindale's side in style thanks to an Ethan Ross double and a fine Calvin Miller strike. A closer look at how Falkirk returned to the top flight  Despite dropping eight of the previous nine points available, Falkirk still held their fate in their own hands. Yet the route to the title proved far more fraught than many had expected, especially considering the healthy lead they had once enjoyed at the top of the table. An early goal was the plan, but it came from Hamilton instead. Home goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth did well to stop Nikolay Todorov's effort, but Scott Robinson, the captain and former Livingston forward, was quickest to react and tucked away the rebound, sil...

Dundee United 0 - 5 Celtic Celtic clinched a fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and a 13th in 14 seasons after brushing aside a disorganised Dundee United at Tannadice. Author - Sean M Stadium - Tannadice Park Brendan Rodgers’ side needed only a point to seal the championship but did so with some flourish, making the Northern Irishman the most decorated living Celtic manager with 11 honours, behind only Willie Maley and Jock Stein. Three years on from celebrating Ange Postecoglou’s first Premiership triumph at this same ground, thousands of travelling Celtic fans witnessed another title confirmed well before half time. Nicolas Kühn’s second goal of the day, Celtic’s third, marked their 100th in the Premiership this season and effectively snuffed out any early spark from the hosts. READ MORE: News from across Scotland READ MORE:  Celtic thrash St. Johnstone to reach another Scottish Cup final When Adam Idah added two more after the break, first with a header and ...

St. Johnstone 0 - 5 Celtic Celtic produced a ruthless first-half display to sweep past St Johnstone and book their place in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen, keeping hopes alive for a record-extending ninth domestic treble. Author - Sean M Stadium - Hampden Park Brendan Rodgers, who remains unbeaten in 14 matches at Hampden Park, will return with his side to the national stadium on Saturday 24 May, where they will aim to secure a third successive Scottish Cup triumph. Any uncertainty about the outcome was dispelled by half-time. Celtic delivered a blistering end to the first half, scoring four times in just 12 minutes to leave St Johnstone reeling. From the opening whistle, the holders dominated possession and territory, eventually finding a breakthrough when captain Callum McGregor guided a precise strike into the corner of the net. That opener set the tone for a relentless spell. McGregor turned provider minutes later, slipping a perfectly judged pass into the path of Daiz...

Celtic 5 - 1 Kilmarnock Celtic moved to the brink of yet another Scottish Premiership title after a blistering first-half performance against Kilmarnock.  Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park The Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers demanded a response following the loss to the division's bottom side. Within 24 minutes of this match against Kilmarnock kicking off, Celtic were four ahead thanks to a stunning array of goals, with Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers and two Reo Hatate.  Danny Armstrong's cross sailed home for some brief respite for Derek McInnes' men. However, the champions-elect utterly dominated the first half of this match. They would have been happy to be only trailing 4-1 at half-time. Not a good place to be in. They then eased up slightly but the icing on the cake arrived in injury time as substitute Anthony Ralston danced into the box and found the far corner. A closer look at what happened and why it happened It had been reported in some outlets that the ...

St Johnstone 1 - 0 Celtic St Johnstone pulled off a surprise victory over Celtic, denying the reigning champions the chance to wrap up the Scottish Premiership title in front of their home support next weekend. Author - Sean M Stadium - McDiarmid Park Brendan Rodgers’ side knew that a win at McDiarmid Park would have set up the opportunity to clinch a fourth consecutive league crown when they host Kilmarnock on Saturday. But an early thumping header from Daniels Balodis, following a well-delivered free-kick by Graham Carey, gave the hosts a crucial lead. That goal, combined with a resilient defensive display, saw the league’s bottom side move to within five points of Dundee. Celtic could still secure the title next weekend if they beat Kilmarnock and Rangers drop points away to Aberdeen on Sunday. However, Balodis’ first goal for the club has, for now at least, postponed any plans of celebrating on home turf. The early breakthrough seemed to energise the Perth side. While Celti...

Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts Daizen Maeda struck twice in Celtic's commanding Scottish Premiership victory over Heart of Midlothian, bringing his season tally to an impressive thirty goals.  Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park The Celtic boss had hinted before the match that both he and the club were eager to extend the Japan international's contract, which currently runs until the summer of 2027.  This latest performance served as yet another reminder of why that would be a wise move. Maeda has now scored in eight consecutive league games and shows no sign of slowing down. The forward was at the heart of all three goals and appears almost unstoppable in Scotland at present. A closer look at what happened at Celtic Park Hearts had arrived to this match with some confidence, having lost just twice in their previous fourteen matches. They were aiming to take another step towards securing a top-six place. All eyes were on Viljami Sinisalo, who stepped in for the injured Kasper Schme...