Celtic secured Champions League knockout football for the first time in 12 years with a dramatic victory over Young Boys, sealed by Loris Benito’s late own goal in Glasgow.
The night was filled with tension and near-misses. Celtic, reduced to 10 men after Daizen Maeda’s late red card, saw Arne Engels miss a penalty and Kyogo Furughashi have three first-half goals disallowed.
At the other end, Kasper Schmeichel kept Celtic in the game with crucial saves from Darian Males.
After a flat second half, Celtic finally broke through in the 86th minute when Adam Idah’s shot was saved by Marvin Keller, only for the rebound to deflect off Benito into the net.
The hosts held on through a nervy final five minutes to clinch qualification with a game to spare.
Manager Brendan Rodgers described the game as a rollercoaster, with moments of brilliance and wastefulness. Despite missed chances and mounting pressure, Celtic’s persistence paid off, sparking jubilant celebrations among fans.
