Martin O'Neill, Celtic's manager since January 5, 2026, has successfully steered the club into the Europa League play-off phase. The Scottish side secured their spot with a 4-2 home win against FC Utrecht on January 29, 2026, at Celtic Park. O'Neill expressed his delight with the result and the team's performance, particularly their resilience.
Celtic established an early 3-0 lead within 19 minutes through Benjamin Nygren, an own goal from Nick Viergever, and an Arne Engels penalty. Despite a brief comeback from Utrecht, Auston Trusty's header restored Celtic's two-goal advantage. The victory extends O'Neill's unbeaten run to six matches.
Celtic will now face either Ferencvaros or Stuttgart in the upcoming play-off round. This draw could see O'Neill reunited with Robbie Keane, who manages Ferencvaros. Keane, a former Celtic player, previously played under O'Neill during his career.
