Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic: Player ratings + talking points with three 8s + one 9/10 coming of age display on Euro night to savour
How we rated the Celtic players in their landmark 3-1 Europa League win over Dutch giants Feyenoord at De Kuip in Rotterdam
Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill served up the perfect European parting gift with a landmark 3-1 victory over Dutch giants Feyenoord in Rotterdam - as he prepares to hand over the reins to incoming boss Wilfried Nancy.
Taking charge of what is likely to be his final Europa League game as caretaker boss, Hoops legend O’Neill made sure he will sign off in style after this hugely impressive victory on a night to savour at the iconic ‘De Kuip’.
Having stepped in to the Parkhead hotseat in his beloved club’s time of need following Brendan Rodgers resignation, O’Neill has steadied the ship on the pitch both domestically and in Euro competition, while matters off it continue to come to a head.
Not only was it Celtic’s first victory on Dutch soil in 24 years, the resurgent visitors had done it the hard way by coming from behind to stage a comeback of epic proportions.
Japanese striker Ayase Ueda has given the Eredivisie powerhouses an early 11th-minute lead with a calm finish low into the bottom corner following a quick counter attack, but goals from Yang Hyun-jun and Reo Hatate turned the game on its head before half-time.
Substitute Benjamin Nygren crashed home a third in the closing stages to spark wild scenes of celebration in the away end and leave the hosts’ stunned.
This marked a welcome return to winning ways on the continent for the Scottish champions, having been totally outplayed on their previous outing against FC Midtjylland in Denmark.
Yes, they had to ride their luck at times, but Celtic produced a solid defensive showing an a clinical edge when it mattered to secure a vital three points and boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages - climbing into a play-off position in the process.
In contrast, Feyenoord were surprisingly poor as they slipped to their fourth defeat in their last five games in the competition.
But all the credit must go to O’Neill after masterminding a first win in the Netherlands since his famous victory against Ajax back in 2001 during the glory days. He will perform a smooth handover to Nancy in the coming days after galvanising and restoring a renewed sense of belief in the squad.
The Frenchman will have likely been watching on from afar and will be pleased with what he saw from the group of players he’s about to inherit. Celtic controlled the vast majority of the second half, with Nygren’s goal giving O’Neill the send off he craved.
Here, GlasgowWorld breaks down three main talking points from the game and how the Celtic players fared:
Celtic revel in landmark European victory
In what will go down as one of Celtic’s best travelling performances in European in recent times, many supporters who had headed over to Rotterdam will have feared the worst when Ueda broke the deadlock.
But Celtic recovered well from a difficult start in horrendous conditions and roared back into the contest with Yan arriving late in the box to fire low into the net from a narrow angle at the back post.
A goalkeeping error presented Hatate, who has looked out of sorts this season, a golden opportunity to make it 2-1 and the Japanese midfielder did so by rolling home into an empty net. And Nygren completed the turnaround in style, smashing a left-footed shot in off the crossbar after terrific play from youngster Colby Donovan.
Continental away day hoodoo comes to an end
O’Neill has guided Celtic to a first away win in Europe since November 2021 against Ferencvaros - a full 15 games ago. If this does indeed turn out to be his last match in interim charge, it would be a spectacular way to boy out for the 73-year-old.
Hatate back to his best + Donovan steals the show
It’s fair to say the Japanese midfielder hasn’t hit the levels he has done in previous seasons so far this campaign. However, the 28-year-old served up a timely reminder of the quality he possesses here. This was much more like it from a player who can often be a real driving force.
His defensive team-mate Donovan, though, was outstanding. Thrown in at the deep end by Rodgers earlier in the season, the Scotland Under-21 international was called on again to replace Anthony Ralston and boy did he step up to the mark.
Always looking to press forward, Donovan showed that he can be relied upon on the biggest stage. This was a serious coming-of-age display from the academy graduate.
Celtic player ratings vs Feyenoord
GK - Kasper Schmeichel (6/10)
RB - Colby Donovan (9/10)
LCB - Liam Scales (8/10)
CM - Callum McGregor (7/10)
CM - Arne Engels (7/10)
RW - Luke McCowan (6/10)
CAM - Reo Hatate (8/10)
LW - Yang Hyun-jun (8/10)
CF - Daizen Maeda (7/10)
Subs used: Benjamin Nygren (6/10), Dane Murray (5/10), Sebastian Tounekti (4/10), Paulo Bernardo (N/A), Anthony Ralston (N/A)