Celtic

Celtic fans, we asked for your views on Saturday's 2-1 win over Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

David: Having been read the LASK rites midweek, it was good to see Celtic return to winning ways. The centre of defence looked more assured with Liam Scales back there and Camilo Duran, a different striker to Kasper Hogh, showed what he can when playing off the last man.

Patrick: In desperate need of squad depth again. The sickness, combined with injuries, have shown we're short at right-back, left-back, central midfield and centre forward. Still winning which is something but that won't cut it in Europe.

Alan: Such a drop off in quality when the subs come on, we badly need reinforcements. Why do other teams not seem to have trouble closing deals?

Tony: The scoreline may of look close but it was far from it. Celtic totally dominated the game. A few decent signings before deadline day and the league is in the bag, if it isn't already. Nobody can touch us in Scotland, miles ahead of everyone else.

John: Martin O'Neil should have left after winning the double, simple. We needed a fresh injection of a manager with new ideas. Callum Osmand is an outstanding talent, how he can't start is unbelievable.

Liam: We created plenty but were as wasteful as ever. Duran is going to be a class act though. Sadly our shameless board will hold us back.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Cesar Peixoto has told 33-year-old England international goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who is under consideration by Celtic, he is not part of his plans. (Glasgow Times, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic will start their Europa League campaign at home to Hungary's Ferencvaros on Wednesday, 16 September (20:00 BST).

Their league phase fixtures the following month will be away to Portugal's Benfica on 15 October (20:00) and at home to Spain's Celta Vigo on 22 October (20:00).

Martin O'Neill's side host Turkey's Besiktas on 5 November (20:00 GMT) and visit Torreense in Portugal on 26 November (20:00).

Omonia of Cyprus host the Scottish champions on 10 December (17:45) before a home tie with French side Marseille on 21 January (20:00) and trip to face Belgium's Union SG on 28 January (20:00).

Celtic maintained their winning Scottish Premiership start as Camilo Duran's double ended a bruising week on a positive with a narrow win over Falkirk.

Read the match report here.

Have your say here.

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill tells BBC Scotland: "Delighted to win the game. The exertions and disappointment of Tuesday night, have to overcome that and travel back.

"The physical and psychological aspects of it all were big concerns today. Falkirk caused us umpteen problems in the game here last season.

"We created a lot of really good chances, but at 2-0 it's still on a knife edge. They get the goal and then the las5 15 minutes become a worrying time when perhaps it shouldn't have been.

"We go again on Wednesday and we'll see how the players are. A lot of the players that played on Tuesday started to flag a little bit and it's early season - the players are still getting up to speed.

"[Camilo Duran] played here [at Celtic Park] against LASK on the right-hand side and then it was seamless him moving to centre-forward. He was fantastic and he has been since he set foot in the football club.

"Hassan will cause problems in the final third. I think he will be terrific for us. I was delighted with his performance.

"Kieran [Tierney] I thought had cramp, but it wasn't. It looks similar to Kasper [Hogh]. I'm not sure at this minute - I need to find out from the medical staff how that is.

"I'm still really hopeful we can do something [in the transfer market]. If we want to defend our title and get something in the Europa League we need a bit more strength in depth. I think that's pretty obvious."

We asked for your views on Celtic's Europa League draw after Martin O'Neill's side were confirmed to be playing Benfica, Bestikas, Celta Vigo, Ferencvaros, Marseille, Omonia, Torreense and Union SG.

Here are some of your comments:

Paul: This competition is Cetlic's level - for now. No point in reflecting on the embers of the defeat to LASK. Board know what they need to do. So does Martin O'Neill. Players should reflect likewise.

John: After watching the Champions League, anything could happen. Need muscle in the middle of the park and Duran to play up front and a new defence.

George: It's going to be tough but I think we are better suited for the Europa League than Champions League. Just hope we get a few more in such as defence as that was very poor but I think we can get through to next round.

Patrick: If you'd have asked me before this week I'd be thrilled with the draw, however I've got no confidence any more. I really don't know what can be done in the next two weeks to prepare for a gruelling European campaign. Far more nervous than excited.

Rob: Desperate for a good campaign! Getting in and winning at least one knockout round is progress!

James: After that mess on Tuesday, who really cares?

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Out-of-favour Celtic forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha has joined Belgian club Gent on loan for the season with an option to buy the 25-year-old.

The Belgium-born DR Congo international came through the youth ranks with Standard Liege before moving to Antwerp, from whom he joined Celtic a year ago.

But he made only 13 appearances for the Scottish champions, just three of them starts, without scoring and has not featured since January.

Gent head coach Rik De Mil, whose side reached the Conference League after Thursday's play-off win over Hibernian, hopes to help the winger regain the form he showed as Antwerp won the league and cup double in 2023.

"Balikwisha is an experienced player who knows the Belgian league well," he told his club website.

"He has proven time and again that he can make the difference with an individual piece of skill, an assist, or a goal."

A Celtic delegation is in the Netherlands to discuss the acquisition of midfielder Joel van den Berg, with the 19-year-old open to a transfer having yet to become a first-team regular with PSV Eindoven. (VI, external)

PSV Eindhoven seem poised to sell Joel van den Berg to Celtic after the midfielder was pulled out of the Jong PSV side for their second-tier match with RKC Waalwijk on Friday, according to Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink. (Glasgow Times, external)

Hajduk Split head coach Gonzalez Garcia has confirmed Celtic target Niko Sigur has played his last game for the club, but although the 22-year-old midfielder is reportedly keen to join the Scottish Champions, they face competition from Genk and Toulouse. (The National, external)

Partizan Belgrade president Rasim Ljajic says they rejected a bid from Celtic for playmaker Ognjen Ugresic because they had already given their word to PAOK to sell the 20-year-old for £400,000 less than the Scottish champions offered. (Mozzart Sport, external)

Celtic are set to miss out on Ermin Mahmic, with Turkish outlet Sport Klub reporting that the 21-year-old Slovan Liberec midfielder has agreed a £4.3m transfer to newly promoted Super Lig club Corum. (Glasgow Times, external)

Scotland midfielder John McGinn has revealed that, before his transfer to Aston Villa, Hibernian had agreed to sell him to Celtic if the Scottish champions matched their valuation, but a suitable bid never arrived. (The Overlap, external)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor missed training on Friday with a stomach bug but manager Martin O'Neill hopes he will be fit.

Jota and Alistair Johnston remains out for the hosts.

Falkirk are without seven first-team players.

Keelan Adams, Joe Gardner, Ethan Laidlaw, Tom Lang, Aidan Nesbitt, Craig Sibbald and Finn Yeats miss out.

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Martin O'Neill has challenged his side to show traditional Celtic "character" against Falkirk in the wake of their shambolic Champions League exit.

The play-off capitulation against LASK in Linz - where Celtic had a four-goal cushion after half an hour - has fans in uproar before the return of domestic action on Saturday.

"I've known this from my time at this football club, you're always one game away from a crisis, and that's the case," said 74-year-old manager O'Neill.

"It's a major disappointment to get knocked out of the competition, particularly carrying a lead and certainly with 60 minutes to go and we are looking in real control of the game.

"They've had a couple of skirmishes but we have had the better chances in the game. And to let it slip in the manner in which we did, that is my responsibility.

"And so we have to go and and really show, I know it's an overused word, the character. We have to show a lot of character.

"And there'll be moments in the game tomorrow, misplaced passes, allowing Falkirk in, shots at goal and maybe even going a goal behind in the game, where the crowd are going to get really restless. Absolutely, so we have to fight that.

"But that's been the case even in my days with [Henrik] Larsson and [Neil] Lennon, [Paul] Lambert, it was the case then, so that doesn't change. And you know what? I wouldn't expect it to. We can't live in laurels for the rest of our time.

"One of the great highs was us winning the league [last season] and one of the major lows was losing this game the other night. It doesn't get any easier at 74 years of age. In fact, it gets worse."

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Martin O'Neill has been speaking to the media before Celtic host Falkirk in the Premiership on Saturday.

Here are the key points from the media conference:

• O'Neill says Celtic's Europa League draw is "really tough" and "something to look forward to" but admits "I still haven't got over" the Champions League play-off exit to LASK.

• He hopes the Champions League exit will not impact on the club adding new signings: "I think we're still trying to get some players in. We would need a few in, obviously, to supplement the squad."

• But O'Neill admits Celtic may now miss out on some targets because the Champions League is a "big carrot, particularly for a lot of young players".

• He insists Celtic should have been "out of sight by half-time" of Tuesday night's 5-1 defeat in Austria.

• O'Neill is "obviously disappointed with myself" and, when asked what he could have done better, says: "I have to really analyse it again. The period of the game just after half-time when they've scored, 2-1, the momentum's with them. What can you do to stop that momentum?"

• The management and players have discussed the LASK defeat and while they can't "push it to the side", O'Neill stressed the need to "recover quickly" and focus on upcoming challenges.

• On fan discontent over the Champions League failure, O'Neill says Celtic are "always one game away from a crisis" and the players need to show "a lot of character" against Falkirk.

• Callum McGregor missed training on Friday with a stomach bug, but O'Neill hopes the captain will be available on Saturday.

• He adds: "We've got a couple of boys with a few knocks and things, but it's as much psychological as physical for us to get through."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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It wasn't the draw Celtic wanted to be in, but they have emerged from the Europa League supercomputer with a relatively kind result.

Without doubt, the toughest task will be at the Estadio da Luz when the Scottish champions travel to Benfica.

In Portugal, Marco Silva's side dismantled Hearts in qualifying, but they did draw at Tynecastle - though the tie was never in any doubt by then.

While it's one of the trickiest away trips Celtic could have booked from pot one, they are rewarded with a nicer home tie against French outfit Marseille.

Fifth in Ligue 1 last season and captained by ex-Celt Timo Weah, they are a much more winnable tie than the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan or Juventus.

Pot two - where Celtic were placed - brought the return of Ferencvaros to Glasgow. Under Robbie Keane, who quit this summer, they failed to win the league last season and had to navigate four rounds of qualifying to get here.

Like Celtic, though, Union St-Gilloise dropped into this competition after failing in their Champions League play-off, losing after extra-time against Bodo/Glimt.

Two seasons ago, they were surprise winners of the Belgian Pro League - under the stewardship of new Scotland head coach Sebastian Pocognoli - while they also use the same Jamestown Analytics data company as Hearts.

Into pot three, a former Celtic defender will return to Parkhead. Carl Starfelt and Celta Vigo finished sixth in La Liga last season, earning automatic qualification to this stage. A club, of course, Martin O'Neill faced on the way to the Uefa Cup final in 2003.

It's a tie Celtic would have preferred at home, while the away trip is to Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus. Yep, Neil Lennon's former club.

The Cypriot First Division winners were knocked out of the Champions League second qualifying round by Kairat Almaty - again, yep - but got past Lincoln Red Imps and STVV to secure Europa League football.

As names go in pot four, Besiktas are arguably the biggest. Celtic will be delighted they don't need to travel to Turkey for that one.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's previous club had to navigate three qualifying rounds and were helped along the way by former Rangers player, Vaclav Cerny.

While the Turkish heavyweights need no introduction, Torreense maybe do.

The Portuguese Cup winners join an exclusive group of second division clubs to play in European competitions after sensationally defeating Sporting CP in last season's final.

From a town 25 miles north of Lisbon, Torres Vedras, their 2,500-seater home stadium does not meet Uefa's requirement and so will play their matches 193 miles away at the Estadio Algarve in Faro.

Marseille and Benfica are among Celtic's opponents in this season's Europa League.

The Parkhead club will host Marseille, Ferencvaros, Celta Vigo and Besiktas in the league phase.

And Celtic's away games are against Benfica, Union St-Gilloise, Omonia of Cyprus and Portuguese second-tier side Torreense.

Celtic fans, what do you make of the draw? Can Martin O'Neill's men progress to the knockout rounds?

Share your thoughts here.

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• Celtic have won their past nine league games. Only twice before under Martin O'Neill have they won 10+ in a row: a run of 14 from August to December 2001, and 25 from August 2003 to February 2004.

• Falkirk have lost 17 of their past 19 away games at Celtic in all competitions (D2) since a 2-0 victory in October 1994 under Jim Jefferies.

• Celtic have won 16 of their past 18 meetings with Falkirk in all competitions (D2) since a 1-0 defeat in March 2007, winning their last nine in a row. Only from March 1950 to August 1954 have the Hoops ever won 10 in a row versus the Bairns.

• In their last league outing against Kilmarnock, Celtic fired in 33 shots, the most by any side in a Scottish Premiership game since Rangers against Kilmarnock in May 2024 (41), and the Hoops' most in a league fixture since December 2023 (38 v Dundee).

• Falkirk have lost their past 13 league games against reigning Scottish champions by an aggregate score of 39-4 since a 1-0 win over Celtic in March 2007.

• Benjamin Nygren has scored in both of his Premiership games this season. The last players to score in Celtic's first three matches of a league campaign were James Forrest and Scott Sinclair in 2016-17.

• Falkirk are the only side without a goal in the 2026-27 Premiership, amassing a league-low xG of just 1.1 so far.

• Kasper Hogh is the only player to have attempted 10+ shots in the top flight this season (13), scoring a hat-trick against Kilmarnock last time out. He had nine shots in that game, the most by a Celtic player in a single league match since Liel Abada's 10 against St Johnstone in December 2021.

Celtic have agreed a deal for Hajduk Split and Canada midfielder Niko Sigur. (Lukasz Gikiewicz on X, external)

Although Genk have emerged as late contenders for Sigur's signature and have bid €4m. (24 Sata - in Croatian, external)

Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 33, is a target for Celtic. (Daily Mail, external)

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.