Marko Arnautovic earned Crimson Star Belgrade some extent as his Sixty fifth-minute end secured a 1-1 draw with Celtic of their Europa League opener.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho had given Brendan Rodgers’ aspect the lead simply 10 minutes prior, however there was no dramatic late winner to be discovered on the Stadion Rajko Mitic.
Celtic had been sluggish within the first half, with Nemanja Radonjic and Mirko Ivanic each seeing probabilities go to waste earlier than Bruno Duarte’s long-range effort was matched by an equally spectacular Kasper Schmeichel save onto the crossbar.
With neither aspect capable of finding a breakthrough, Celtic improved within the second half, with Matheus getting down sharply to maintain out each Benjamin Nygren and Iheanacho.
Their stress paid off quickly after the interval, with Iheanacho shortly checking out his ft within the field earlier than bending a shot previous the helpless Matheus.
Crimson Star responded properly, although, and obtained their equaliser from a nook. Schmeichel was drawn to the ball, and Arnautovic was the online from shut vary in a crowded field after assembly Franklin Tebo Uchenna’s pullback.
Schmeichel and Matheus made smothering saves to disclaim Ivanic and Iheanacho at both finish, respectively, as either side’ seek for a winner led to useless.
Honours even in Belgrade, as our opening #UEL match finishes in a draw.#CrvenaZvezdaCeltic | #CelticFC pic.twitter.com/56623l3DDK
— Celtic Soccer Membership (@CelticFC) September 24, 2025
Knowledge Debrief: Thoughts the hole
Having joined Crimson Star over the summer time, Arnautovic stole the headlines on Wednesday along with his second-half strike.
Arnautovic’s objective got here 16 years and 217 days after his final UEFA Cup/Europa League strike as a 19-year-old for FC Twente in opposition to Marseille in February 2009 – the longest-ever hole between targets scored by a participant within the competitors’s historical past.
It was a reasonably tight sport; Crimson Star amassed 1.31 anticipated targets (xG) from their 16 pictures (4 heading in the right direction), whereas Celtic completed with 1.74 xG from eight makes an attempt, getting six of these heading in the right direction.
However Rodgers has now received simply one in every of his final 17 European away matches (together with qualifiers) in command of Celtic (D7 L9), failing to win in any of his final 11 since a 1-0 win in opposition to Rosenborg within the 2018-19 Europa League group stage throughout his first spell.