Iheanacho's late strike earns Celtic a point in Belgrade
A half-time substitute provides the difference as Celtic draw 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade at Rajko Mitic Stadium, with young Colby Donovan making a European start.
Celtic earned a Europa League point in Belgrade after Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to score a late equaliser against Red Star Belgrade at the Rajko Mitic Stadium. The Nigerian forward replaced Daizen Maeda at halftime and immediately lifted Celtic’s attacking threat, a change Brendan Rodgers had signaled in search of a sharper focal point up front. The draw marks a positive but balanced start to the group campaign for a Celtic side still finding rhythm this season.
Red Star Belgrade came into the match in strong domestic form, having won all seven of their league games and scored 30 goals. They started with intent, troubling Kasper Schmeichel with early eye-catching moves and finishing with a warning shot from Bruno Duarte that Schmeichel tipped onto the crossbar. Arnautovic, now in his mid-30s, also had a clear sight at goal but skewed his volley wide after Duarte’s cross. Celtic initially sat deep and looked to counter, holding possession without creating a clear-cut chance in the opening 45 minutes. Before the break, Cameron Carter-Vickers directed a Nygren free-kick header narrowly over the bar as Celtic’s best moment of the half.
Maeda returned to the pitch at the interval but was soon hauled off as Iheanacho injected impetus and thrust into Celtic’s play. The change coincided with Celtic beginning to ask questions of Red Star’s defense, and Nygren, Donovan and Iheanacho all tested Matheus in quick succession after the restart. Iheanacho’s influence grew as the minutes passed: he held his run to stay onside, collected a Nygren pass, and produced a composed reversed finish to lift the ball into the top corner, giving Celtic a lead that reflected a brighter second half in which they finally showed variety in attack.
Red Star responded with renewed urgency and levelled the score on 65 minutes. From a corner, Franklin Tebo Uchenna’s ball back across goal found Arnautovic unmarked enough to convert from close range, beating Carter-Vickers. Iheanacho then tested Matheus again, only for the Red Star goalkeeper to save with his face as Celtic searched for a quick regain of the advantage. Kieran Tierney, who later returned to action in a substitute role, did not complete 90 minutes, while 19-year-old Colby Donovan stood out on the right flank as the more reliable full-back option in an intense atmosphere.
Donovan, aged 19, earned his first European start in Belgrade and impressed with his pace and composure on the ball. His performance, alongside a more settled midfield showing from Hatate in spells, offered a glimpse of Celtic’s potential depth as they navigated a notoriously hostile environment. Maeda, who had struggled to influence proceedings earlier, found the night’s momentum shifting in favor of Celtic after the break, though questions about consistency in front of goal lingered.
The result left Rodgers with a point on the road in a competition where Celtic have historically endured a stern test in European away fixtures. The club has not progressed beyond the last 32 since the Europa League rebrand in 2009, and Rodgers has recorded relatively few long-range successes on continental trips during his tenure. Nevertheless, the draw in the Belgrade cauldron was viewed as a pragmatic result, and the late intervention from Iheanacho offered a constructive signal that Celtic can rely on depth and opportunistic players to influence outcomes in Europe.
Celtic’s performance underlined some familiar themes: creative spark was uneven in the opening period, Reo Hatate’s quality sometimes failed to flourish under pressure, and Maeda’s form this season has been a point of concern for the team’s attacking shape. Yet the shift to Iheanacho’s entering the fray provided a different edge, and the Nigerian forward’s willingness to run at tired legs offered Celtic a credible route to a deserved point. The club will now regroup as their group campaign continues, seeking to translate this level of performance into sustained results away from home.
For Red Star, the draw ends a run of strong domestic form that had them confident heading into the match. The Belgrade club’s early-season surge, combined with the atmosphere at Rajko Mitic, demonstrated why European nights there are among the most testing in the competition. As Celtic head back to Glasgow, both teams will regroup and prepare for the next round of fixtures with an eye on the prospects of advancing from the group stage.