Iheanacho denied historic double as Braga shock Celtic at Celtic Park
SC Braga stunned Celtic Park on Thursday night, clinching a 2–0 win over Celtic on Matchday 2 of the UEFA Europa League league phase and compounding the woes of Brendan Rodgers’ side.
It was the Bhoys’ second straight home game without scoring following last weekend’s stalemate with Hibernian, and it leaves them still searching for a first group-stage victory.
For Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho, it was a bittersweet evening. The Super Eagles striker completed 90 minutes for the first time in a Celtic shirt his fifth appearance in all competitions but saw a potential landmark goal chalked off by VAR.
Braga break Celtic’s fortress
Braga, who have now made it two wins from two in this season’s Europa League, took the lead in the 20th minute through a captain’s strike. Ricardo Horta unleashed a fierce long-range drive that flew beyond Kasper Schmeichel, silencing the Glasgow crowd.
Celtic thought they had restored parity five minutes after the restart. Iheanacho reacted quickest to a loose ball, flicked it over a defender and drilled home into the far corner; only for VAR to rule the goal out for a faint handball in the buildup.
Had the goal stood, the former Leicester City forward would have become the first Celtic player in 30 years to score in his opening two major European appearances for the club, according to UEFA’s official records.
Celtic push, Braga punish
Rodgers’ men kept pressing. Lukáš Horníček produced smart saves to deny Kieran Tierney and Sebastian Tounekti, but Braga stayed compact and deadly on the counter.
With five minutes remaining, the visitors sealed the points. Gabri Martínez forced the ball over the line after it cannoned off him from close range, sending the travelling fans into raptures and leaving Celtic facing an uphill climb in Group E.
Iheanacho, who had found the net on Matchday 1 against Red Star Belgrade, cut a frustrated figure at full time, his disallowed strike encapsulating a night of near misses for Celtic.
Elsewhere on Matchday 2
Roma 0–1 Lille: Hákon Arnar Haraldsson punished a sixth-minute defensive slip to hand Roma their first Europa League home defeat since October 2022.
Nottingham Forest 2–3 Midtjylland: The Danes spoiled Forest’s European homecoming with an early flurry, despite a late Chris Wood penalty.
Feyenoord 0–2 Aston Villa: Goals from Emiliano Buendía and John McGinn gave Unai Emery’s men back-to-back group wins.
Fenerbahçe 2–1 Nice: Turkish winger Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored a brace, his second and the club’s 400th European goal.
Panathinaikos 1–2 Go Ahead Eagles: Milan Smit’s double in seven minutes gave the Dutch side their first-ever Europa League win.
Porto 2–1 Crvena Zvezda: Rodrigo Mora struck an 89th-minute winner to continue Porto’s late-goal heroics after their stoppage-time success on Matchday 1.
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Other results: Viktoria Plzeň 3–0 Malmö, Ludogorets 0–2 Real Betis, FCSB 0–2 Young Boys, Bologna 1–1 Freiburg, Brann 1–0 Utrecht, Lyon 2–0 Salzburg, Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1–3 Dinamo Zagreb, Basel 2–0 Stuttgart, Sturm Graz 2–1 Rangers, Celta 3–1 PAOK, Genk 0–1 Ferencváros.
What it means
Braga’s victory takes them to six points from two games at the top of the section, while Celtic, with just one point so far, are already under pressure to qualify from Group E. Rodgers’ men will likely need to take maximum points from their next double-header if they are to stay in the hunt for the knockout rounds.
For Iheanacho, the disallowed goal was a setback, but his full 90 minutes is a sign he is beginning to integrate into Celtic’s system. The Super Eagles striker remains key to the club’s hopes of reviving their European campaign.