Celtic 1–2 Celta de Vigo | Europa League | 22 October 2026

Result Summary

A dramatic second-half turnaround at Celtic Park handed Celta de Vigo a hard-fought 2–1 victory in the Europa League. Javier Rodríguez Galiano proved the decisive figure, netting twice in a three-minute burst to overturn Celtic's lead and secure three crucial points for Claudio Giráldez's side.

Match Analysis

The first half was relatively contained, with neither side able to break the deadlock before the interval. Celtic, organised under Martin O'Neill, showed discipline without the ball and managed to keep Celta's attacking threats at bay — though the statistics tell a clear story of Spanish dominance throughout the ninety minutes. Celta de Vigo registered 22 shots in total compared to Celtic's 8, created 17 key passes against just 5 for the hosts, and enjoyed a 56% share of possession.

Celtic made the breakthrough two minutes into the second half when Mika Baur converted with a right-foot shot in the 47th minute, giving the home side what appeared to be a deserved reward for their defensive resilience. However, the lead never looked entirely secure given the weight of Celta's attacking pressure — evidenced by their 125 attacks and 57 dangerous attacks compared to Celtic's 75 and 42 respectively.

Celta responded decisively. In the 68th minute, Javier Rodríguez Galiano headed home from an assist by Hugo Álvarez to level the contest. Then, just three minutes later, Galiano struck again with a right-foot shot in the 71st minute to complete the turnaround and put Celta firmly in front. The double blow came in rapid succession and Celtic struggled to respond.

Substitutions added fresh legs to both sides in the final quarter, with James Forrest introduced for Celtic at the 58-minute mark and Williot Swedberg among Celta's changes in the 63rd minute following the earlier departure of Iago Aspas. Celtic's discipline also came under strain — five yellow cards were accumulated across the match, including bookings for Camilo Andres Durán Marquez, Liam Scales, Oliver Sørensen Jensen, and Colby Donovan, with multiple arising from arguments. Celta, by contrast, committed just 5 fouls to Celtic's 10, reflecting a more composed and controlled performance.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast projected a 1–1 draw, assigning Celtic a 36% probability of winning, a 26% chance of a draw, and a 38% probability of a Celta de Vigo victory. In the end, the away-win scenario proved correct in terms of the favoured outcome, yet our model landed on a draw as its central prediction — making it incorrect. The confidence level of 48/100 rightly reflected the uncertainty in this contest. The statistics — particularly Celta's commanding 22 shots and 17 key passes — suggest the model may have slightly underestimated the degree to which the Spanish side would dominate territorially.

Key Takeaways

• Javier Rodríguez Galiano was the standout performer, delivering a match-winning brace in the space of three minutes to flip the result on its head.
• Mika Baur's early second-half goal gave Celtic hope, but the underlying statistics suggested Celta's dominance would eventually tell.
• Celtic's five yellow cards indicate a side under pressure and struggling to cope with Celta's attacking volume.
• Celta de Vigo's efficiency — 4 shots on target converted into 2 goals — proved clinical when it mattered most.