UEFA Champions League
Second qualifying round
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC…1
(Christie 53)

FERENCVAROS…2
(Siger 7, Nguen 74)

CELTIC’S hopes of reaching the Group Stages of the Champions League were brought to an abrupt end after a 2-1 defeat to Ferencvaros at Celtic Park.

David Siger fired the Hungarian champions ahead early in the first half. Celtic equalised early in the second period but fell behind for a second time when Tokmac Nguen restored the visitor’s lead.

Celtic created a couple of chances in the opening stages with Forrest behind the first in the third minute. The winger cut the ball onto his left foot and let off a powerful strike from just inside the box that was straight at Hungarian keeper, Dénes Dibusz.

A couple of minutes later Olivier Ntcham had a shot a blocked that looked likely to have caused the Dibusz real problems had it found its way through the opposition defence.

Ferencvaros showed an attacking intent themselves and took advantage of their first glimmer at goal. Celtic defended a corner but the clearance fell to Siger who quickly fired off a powerful dipping shot across goal from 20 yards which nestled in the bottom corner.

The goal emboldened the visitors and they worked franticly to stifle Celtic by pressing them high up the pitch. Celtic coped with the pressure but struggled to create any clear cut chances going forward during the 15 minutes after conceding.

Mohamed Elyounoussi was Celtic’s best attacking threat in the absence of Odsonne Edouard. The Norwegian winger came close in the 23rd minute, managing to squeeze off a shot from a tight angle but his effort was blocked inside the six-yard box.

Celtic dominated possession but a well-organised Ferencvaros side made it difficult for any of Neil Lennon’s players to get in behind the opposition defence or find space for a clear shot on target.

Greg Taylor provided a wonderful chance from the left flank in the 29th minute. The full-back whipped a low cross into the six-yard box but Christie’s faint touch wasn’t enough to redirect the ball over the goal line.

Towards the end of the first half Celtic began to take control of the game and created openings in the Hungarian side’s defence.

Elyounoussi continued to threaten and came close on two occasions towards the end of the first half. He cut in from the left wing and away from two opposition players before shooting a yard wide of the post. He followed up a minute later with a shot on target but couldn’t generate enough power to trouble the keeper.

The last chance to equalise before the break came from McGregor who drilled a low shot towards the bottom corner but the Hungarian keeper managed to save that too.

Celtic came out for the second half fired up and scored the equaliser eight minutes after the restart. Some slick passing between Forrest and Elyounoussi on the edge of the box teed the ball up nicely for Christie and he quickly pulled the trigger. His shot deflected off Adnan KovaÄevic’s head which arched the ball over the keeper and into the goal.

Celtic were unfortunate not to take the lead five minutes later. They undid Ferencvaros’s defence with some excellent passing in the final third and the overlapping Hatem Elhamed chipped a pass into Ntcham from the byline. The midfielder struck the ball on the volley but was denied a wonderful goal with his shot coming back off the underside of the crossbar.

Ferencvaros regained the lead in the 74th minute with a counter-attack. Elhamed allowed a long pass into Celtic’s half to bounce in front of him and Nguen ran onto the ball. He held off the Celtic defender and squeezed a shot past Vasilis Barkas at the near post.

Celtic pressured the Hungarian side for the remainder of the game but could find no way past a stubborn Ferencvaros side who sat in defended frantically until the final whistle.

CELTIC: Barkas; Jullien, Taylor, Brown, Christie, Ntcham, Elyounoussi, Ajer, McGregor, Elhamed (Frimpong 77), Forrest (Ajeti 77).
Subs: Bain, Bitton, Klimala, Soro, Harper

FERENCVAROS: Dibusz, Botka, Kovacevic, Blazic, Civic, Sigér, Kharatin, do Rosário Calmon, da Silva Barbosa (Boli 70), Nguen (Škvarka 79), Uzuni (Dvali 86).
Subs: Bogdán, Heister, Laiduni, R. Varga

Celtic suffer defeat to Ferencvaros at Paradise