{"id":221450,"date":"2025-10-24T00:02:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T00:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/221450\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T00:02:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T00:02:12","slug":"celtic-honda-civic-gets-a-europa-league-jump-start-but-comeback-comes-with-casualties-five-talking-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/221450\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Honda Civic gets a Europa League jump start but comeback comes with casualties \u2013 five talking points"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren turned things around after Brendan Rodgers carried out some running repairs<\/p>\n

22:08, 23 Oct 2025Updated 23:06, 23 Oct 2025<\/p>\n

\"Celtic'sCeltic’s Benjamin Nygren celebrates scoring to make it 2-1 <\/p>\n

The Celtic<\/a> Honda Civic looked clapped out by the side of the road. It was a tow truck required rather than the AA for a spell against Sturm Graz.<\/p>\n

But the Hoops somehow found the jump leads \u2013 and it might just be the spark this entire club needs right now.<\/p>\n

A goal down and players dropping like flies, Celtic’s Europa League campaign was heading for the scrap yard.<\/p>\n

And there would be fears the Premiership one wasn\u2019t far behind.<\/p>\n

But Brendan Rodgers<\/a> performed running repairs to get the show back on the road \u2013 and inject some much needed positively amid all the gloom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tynecastle on Sunday doesn\u2019t look quite so scary now.<\/p>\n

It was a rough old ride at times though.<\/p>\n

Tomi Harvat\u2019s 25 yard screamer inside 15 minutes was only half of it, with Kelechi Iheanacho hobbling off after 120 seconds and Alistair Johnston breaking down on his comeback moments after the opener.<\/p>\n

Despite it all, Celtic \u2013 with Arne Engels a driving force \u2013 were pretty slick all things considering.<\/p>\n

Forget being a Honda though. Celts were a convertible \u2013 they were quick and slick \u2013 but had nothing up top.<\/p>\n

Hoops fans were despairing after a string of sitters went begging and it looks nailed on to become another blank night in a season packed with goal scoring problems.<\/p>\n

\"Celtic'sCeltic’s Liam Scales celebrates scoring <\/p>\n

But Liam Scales<\/a> finally make the breakthrough after a quick short corner worked by Engels and Colby Donovan, and it was like a weight came off.<\/p>\n

And Engels did the damage with his deadly corner for Benjamin Nygren to thump home his header after passing up a barrel load beforehand.<\/p>\n

It got worse for the Austrians when Tochi Chukwuani was sent packing for cementing Callum McGregor.<\/p>\n

Graz plugged away but Celts should have been out of sight with more of a cutting edge.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Tounetki was a live wire all night and Kieran Tierney was back looking more like his old self.<\/p>\n

There were some nervy moments but the Hoops were good value and could have been out of sight.<\/p>\n

Rodgers has major issues to deal with in the coming weeks \u2013 but at least there are signs his side still has the drive.<\/p>\n

Rodgers’ Euro vision<\/p>\n

Rodgers took charge of his 63rd European game for Celts \u2013 and now legend Jock Stein has is the only manager to have led in more.<\/p>\n

And few will have tested the Irishman more than this. Players dropping like flies, gaping holes in the side and a goal down in front of an angry crowd.<\/p>\n

Rodgers has copped flak of late but he had to earn his corn out there \u2013 and did and then some.<\/p>\n

\"CelticCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers <\/p>\n

The win keeps alive hopes of getting out of the Europa League group, but it\u2019s still going to be tough with Feyenoord, Roma and Bologna to come.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always been a joy ride in continental competition for Rodger with plenty of sore ones and a few high points.<\/p>\n

Scrapping in the Europa League wasn\u2019t what he was sold when he returned in the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n

But it he can plot a path to the knockout stages this season with everything stacked against him, it will be up there with anything he\u2019s achieved at Parkhead.<\/p>\n

Strike out<\/p>\n

There will be books written about Celtic\u2019s transfer window of summer 2025.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just bad \u2013 it was an epic fail.<\/p>\n

And it was laid bare here when Iheanacho limped off inside a few minutes.<\/p>\n

In his first spell in charge, there was a time when Rodgers had Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths to pick from up top.<\/p>\n

He was light last season when he just had Kyogo and Adam Idam, but that\u2019s an embarrassment of riches compared to now.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s little wonder the Hoops can\u2019t score.<\/p>\n

No harm to Johnny Kenny. The Irish youngster worked hard and got into good positions.<\/p>\n

But if Celts has some more firepower they would have slapped Sturm Graz about with far less stress.<\/p>\n

Arne’s back<\/p>\n

Engels has had his critics but it\u2019s still been a mystery why he\u2019s been so far out of the picture this season.<\/p>\n

It is even more bewildering after his barnstorming display here.<\/p>\n

Fair play to the Belgian. There was no huff \u2013 only desire. Engels was a powerhouse in the middle, driving the team forward and providing pin point balls to help finally make the breakthrough.<\/p>\n

His quick short corner led to the leveller and then a brilliant corner teed up the second.<\/p>\n

Engels is surely due a run in the side now.<\/p>\n

Nygren gets wide<\/p>\n

The big Swede might have have fans tearing their hair out with a strong of missed chances.<\/p>\n

But he finally struck one away and the fact that he was getting into such dangerous positions is exactly why he\u2019s in the side.<\/p>\n

It was Nygren\u2019s turn to fill the right wing void and he might need tp stay there.<\/p>\n

\"BenjaminBenjamin Nygren of Celtic scores his team’s second goal with a header <\/p>\n

Rodgers \u2013 and the supporters \u2013 might have to take the rough with the smooth with the Swede.<\/p>\n

He might not be the quickest or the most lethal, but he gets into the box and provides a goal threat that\u2019s lacking elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Hospital pass<\/p>\n

It was wretched luck losing Iheanacho and Johnston to injuries \u2013 but it was no surprise.<\/p>\n

Mystic Meg didn\u2019t need her crystal ball to foresee these problems.<\/p>\n

Iheanacho has been pitched straight in despite not much game time before landing and there was always a danger the immediate heavy workload would backfire.<\/p>\n

\"Celtic'sCeltic’s Alistair Johnston leaves the field with an injury <\/p>\n

Likewise Johnston was rushed back from his hamstring issue only to break down after barely 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

Usually you can\u2019t legislate for injuries, but these were entirely predictable and it\u2019s only added to the club\u2019s woes, with Tynecastle up on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren turned things around after Brendan Rodgers carried out some running repairs 22:08, 23…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":221451,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[12876,20127,2817,35119,49,55591,30599,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-221450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-alistair-johnston","9":"tag-benjamin-nygren","10":"tag-celtic-fc","11":"tag-daizen-maeda","12":"tag-headlines","13":"tag-kelechi-iheanacho","14":"tag-liam-scales","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-top-news","17":"tag-top-stories","18":"tag-topnews","19":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221450\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}