O’Neill delight as Celtic ease to Europa League playoff with win over Utrecht

Martin O’Neill saw Celtic secure progression into the Europa League playoff phase with a win over Utrecht at home on 29 January 2026, a result that ensured the Scottish champions reached the competition's playoff stage. Celtic took an early lead inside six minutes when Benjamin Nygren converted a short-corner routine from Kieran Tierney.

The visitors’ evening then worsened when Utrecht captain Nick Viergever diverted Daizen Maeda’s cross into his own net, and Arne Engels added a penalty after referee Mohammad Al-Emara went to the monitor to assess a potential handball by Dani de Wit. Utrecht briefly rallied before half-time when Dani de Wit curled a shot beyond Kasper Schmeichel from 20 yards to reduce the deficit, a smart finish from the Dutch side’s previously limited attacking threat.

The second half saw chances for both sides: Nygren forced a save from Vasilis Barkas and Adrian Blake produced a low 25-yard shot that Schmeichel failed to palm clear. Auston Trusty then headed home from an Engels corner to restore breathing space, and a series of substitutions allowed the game to fizzle out in Celtic’s favour.

The match followed a difficult European run for Utrecht, who had already been eliminated and accumulated just one point from eight fixtures in the competition. The occasion also marked more than two decades since O’Neill last managed Celtic in a home European game, and the manager was described as relishing the challenge of foreign forays.

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