Camilo Duran scored twice off the bench, sealing an 87th-minute winner as Celtic came from behind to defeat Besiktas 3-2 at Celtic Park on Thursday night to secure their first points of the UEFA Europa League campaign.
Substitutes Turn the Tide After Penalty Drama
For an hour on Bonfire Night, Martin O’Neill’s side looked headed for another difficult continental result in Glasgow. Besiktas broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Jordan Lotomba conceded a penalty for a foul on Ernest Poku. Sam Johnstone saved Junior Olaitan’s initial spot-kick, but the forward reacted quickest to bundle the rebound into the net.
O’Neill responded with a triple substitution in the 61st minute, introducing Callum Osmand, Camilo Duran, and Colby Donovan. The move paid off almost instantly. Osmand drilled home an equaliser with his first touch less than a minute after coming on, latching onto a pass from Callum McGregor.
💚 Ferencváros' win in Milan 🍀 Celtic's home success over Beşiktaş Which performance impressed you the most? 🤔 https://t.co/ImXShLl7tX#UELPOTW pic.twitter.com/OeZY6DSOVr
Osmand then turned provider in the 78th minute, threading a through ball for Duran, who rounded the goalkeeper to put the hosts ahead 2-1. Besiktas substitute Orkun Kokcu leveled the match at 2-2 in the 85th minute with a strike from 25 yards out, but Duran answered two minutes later by poking in a loose ball from close range following a shot by Kieran Tierney.
The match marked the fourth fixture of the league phase. A crowd of 44,394 witnessed the back-and-forth encounter at Parkhead, where Celtic had previously suffered three defeats in the competition this season against opponents such as Ferencvaros and Celta Vigo.
The dramatic conclusion also featured late cautions and tactical adjustments, with Besiktas booking players like Amir Murillo and Emirhan Topcu while Dusan Vlahovic was flagged offside in the 90th minute. Celtic made further late changes by introducing Dane Murray for Cameron Carter-Vickers and Haissem Hassan for Kasper Hogh in the closing stages to help secure the result.
Substitutes Shape the Match with Decisive Goals
It’s hard to overstate just how difference-making the substitutes were,
O’Neill said. We’ve given ourselves a chance because of the result.
⚽ ORKUN ORKUN ORKUNNNNNNN! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL! CEL 🆚 BJK | 2-2 | 86’ pic.twitter.com/NroqfVcdig
I just said to the team,
O’Neill said. You were a credit to the football club,
You can’t get a bigger accolade than that.
Duran made an immense impact off the bench with two decisive strikes, while Callum Osmand contributed both a goal and an assist following his introduction. Midfielder Mika Baur, signed from Paderborn for nearly £7m, also played the match in central midfield, registering 65 touches, winning 11 of 14 ground duels, and making 10 tackles to help steady the side alongside captain Callum McGregor.
Other summer acquisitions like Kasper Hogh, Oliver Sorensen, and Haissem Hassan have experienced mixed starts to their Hoops careers, making the explosive performances from the younger substitutes and new arrivals especially vital for O’Neill’s squad depth during a demanding schedule.
Looking Ahead to Torreense
The Hoops return to domestic action in the Scottish Premiership—where they sit four points clear of Rangers at the top of the table after 12 games—before continuing their European campaign away against Portuguese second-tier side Torreense on November 26.
🎙️ Martin O’Neill looks ahead to Sunday’s meeting with Kilmarnock after last night’s European victory.#CELKIL | #CelticFC 🍀https://t.co/JB0XdGOQON
Torreense currently holds two wins in the competition phase, and Celtic will look to build upon this breakthrough result to collect further points as they aim for the threshold of qualification required to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
Camilo with his second of the night to seal all three points ✅#CelticBeşiktaş | #UEL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/Wpvbgy4jsN