Martin O'Neill admitted Celtic's rip-roaring comeback to beat Besiktas transported him back to the European nights of his first spell in charge. The 3-2 win against the Istanbul giants put Celtic's first points on the board in the Europa League table.
It has been more than two decades since O'Neill took the Hoops to the UEFA Cup Final in Seville, with the likes of Blackburn and Liverpool swept aside under the lights at Parkhead. The veteran manager said the victory over Besiktas was as close as it has gotten since for the 74-year-old.
Subs turn the tide
The inspired introduction of Camilo Duran and Callum Osmand off the bench turned the tide against the Turks after they took the lead early in the second half. Osmand scored with his first touch after just 43 seconds of coming on before Duran's dramatic double won it for the champions.
“That was a special European night,” said O'Neill. “It reminded me of the olden days. The subs re-energised us and played a big part in the win.
“Duran has been fabulous for us all season and got his two goals. He has played a lot of games and looked a bit tired in the last couple. But he’s a class player and he was always going to come on. I’m delighted with the performance. It was fantastic.”
Character and spirit
O'Neill praised his players' character after they came roaring back from 2-2 to win the game. “I told the players afterwards that they are a credit to the club. You can’t get a bigger accolade than that, but we put our heart and soul into the game,” he said.
“We played really good stuff, particularly in the second half. At 2-2, it looked like we would drop two points but we came roaring back to win the game. There was so much spirit and desire to get the three points. The character shone through big time. The winners came to the fore, as did the new boys.”
Qualification hopes alive
Celtic lost their first three matches in the new format but are now one point off the magic 24th place in the table. O'Neill has always insisted the knockout stage wasn't beyond Celtic, despite the poor start.
“We have had tough matches in Europe,” he said. “You look at Besiktas – they are a fine side. We rose to the occasion and we have given ourselves a chance. We are off the mark now. We have points on the board and we can park it for a few weeks now.
“There is still a thought about qualifying but that is a long way off. Hopefully it gives us a platform to charge on but it’s not going to be easy. That was a great team we’re playing against. Camilo did amazing, he’s such a poacher. Credit to him.”
