Nigeria international attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho, marked his return from injury on a memorable night for Celtic as the Scottish champions recorded a thrilling 4–2 victory over FC Utrecht in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Hoops made a blistering start to the contest, asserting their dominance early and racing into a commanding 3–0 lead inside the opening half hour.
Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring before pressure from Celtic forced Utrecht defender Nick Viergever into an unfortunate own goal. Arne Engels then calmly converted from the penalty spot to cap off a devastating spell for the hosts.
Utrecht, however, refused to fold and mounted a spirited response before the break. Goals from Dani de Wit and Adrian Blake breathed new life into the tie, cutting Celtic’s advantage to a single goal and setting up a tense second half.
The visitors regained control in the 66th minute when Auston Trusty found the back of the net to restore Celtic’s two-goal cushion and effectively seal the result.
Iheanacho was introduced from the bench for the final 22 minutes, bringing an end to a 46-day spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury in December. His return will be a welcome boost for Celtic as well as for the striker personally, having missed out on selection for Nigeria’s squad at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco due to the setback.
The victory confirmed Celtic’s place in the Europa League playoff phase, capping off an entertaining night and providing further momentum as they continue their European campaign.
