Celtic's late surge sinks Besiktas as O'Neill's changes pay off

Celtic came from behind to beat Besiktas 3-2 at Celtic Park, recording their first Europa League win of the season after Martin O'Neill's substitutions turned the match in the hosts' favour, according to Sky Sports Football.

The result came in matchday four of the 2026/27 Europa League league phase, with Sam Johnstone in goal for Celtic on a night that had looked to be slipping away from the home side.

Besiktas took the lead through Benin international Junior Olaitan in the first half, giving the visitors an advantage they held before Celtic's response turned the contest around, Yahoo Sports reported.

O'Neill's changes from the bench were credited by Sky Sports Football with sparking the fightback, as Celtic overturned the deficit to claim what the broadcaster described as a much-needed victory in a campaign that had yet to deliver a win.

Olaitan, speaking after the defeat, argued that Besiktas had controlled much of the game before errors let Celtic back in.

"It was a bad defeat because we dominated the game until we made passing errors and gave the ball away to our opponents," he said, according to Yahoo Sports.

"We started the game well and scored, but after that we lost our rhythm."

The midfielder added that Celtic had punished Besiktas for those lapses. "Celtic took advantage of this and took their chances. It's a pity because we were playing well," he said.

He went on to stress the need for his side to address its consistency across a full ninety minutes. "It's important we recover from this painful defeat. I am sorry for our supporters that we lost this and it's clear we need to work harder for the full 90 minutes, rather than just parts of the match," Olaitan said.

For Celtic, the win represents a significant moment in a Europa League campaign that had struggled for results prior to this fixture, with the victory over Besiktas marking their first in the competition this term.

Besiktas, by contrast, will have to regroup after a defeat their own player believes did not reflect the balance of play, with Olaitan's comments pointing to frustration in the away dressing room over game management rather than overall performance.

Neither source detailed the scorers beyond Olaitan's opener, nor specified further European fixtures, but the result leaves Celtic with renewed momentum in the league phase after their comeback at Celtic Park.