A good night for Bournemouth and Palace but a miserable one for Celtic
No word from Pierre Sage … but we can hear from Sid Lowe and Ed Aarons, who were tonight at Anoeta and Selhurst Park respectively. Their reports are below. Thanks for reading this Clockwatch.
Bournemouth’s Marco Rose on TNT: “It was very intense and tough … in the end enjoyable with the result … a brilliant first half … effort, attitude, confidence … our pressing … our possession game … in the second half we needed to suffer … not so sharp … it was a deserved win, but we need to talk about the second half … [the first half] is Bournemouth football … front-footed … really brilliant … [in the second half] we lost a little bit of intensity … I am quite happy for everyone in the club and for our fans.”
Martin O’Neill takes a much more measured tone with TNT this time: “Obviously not the start we wanted … we started brightly … first attack they had they scored … that minute before half-time … let’s see it out … we didn’t do that … we huffed and puffed after that … they deserved to win … not out of the competition but disappointing … two losses on the trot … we have to get our minds right for Sunday [against Rangers] … we need a bit more urgency … we could take a couple more risks … you might get your rewards … confidence is an amazing thing … it can drop so quickly … tomorrow we’re coming in … we’ll think about the game … but I have to push it to the side … it’s a matter of getting the energy back for Sunday … there are seven more games to go … we need to get going … do you know what? … I always worry … I worried when we won … I’ve been a worrier all my life … you worry and then you have to do something about it … my job is to try to do something about it.”
Post-match postbag. “Stopira captained Torreense in the Portuguese cup final last spring, but tonight he’s on the bench. He was a stalwart for the Cape Verdean national side from 2010 to 2026, but went on to warm the bench for Blue Sharks at the World Cup. He’s a veritable Moses of football, takes teams to the promised land, but his feet don’t tread on the grass” – Kári Tulinius
“It’s weird to think that Robbie Keane could have been standing in either technical area of the Robbie Keane Derby that is Celtic v Ferencvaros” – Peter Oh
“I think a Palace v Bournemouth final is 1,000 times more likely than a Celtic v anybody final” – Simon McMahon
“Update: Stopira came on to help shore up Torreense’s lead, after they went down to ten men” – Kári Tulinius
So after one round of matches, the Europa League table looks like this. Sure, it doesn’t mean that much if we’re being honest with ourselves, but it’s just a bit of fun, and in any case, try telling all of that to supporters of Crystal Palace, with their team second in the table. A victory for Bournemouth sends the Cherries into the top ten, albeit by leaning on the good old alphabet. Sunderland complete a clean sweep of wins for the Premier League, but Celtic have prepared for the weekend visit of Rangers in the worst possible way.
Besiktas 4-1 Marseille Celtic 1-3 Ferencvaros Crystal Palace 4-0 Lech Poznan Juventus 5-0 NEC Levski Sofia 0-1 Red Bull Salzburg Lillestrom 1-2 Torreense OFI 2-0 Hoffenheim Plzen 0-3 Union Saint Gilloise Real Sociedad 1-2 AFC Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s first European adventure ends in victory. Deserved, too. No wonder they’re one of the favourites for the whole thing.
Celtic depart to a muted soundtrack. Martin O’Neill was touchy in the pre-match interview with TNT; the post-match pow-wow will be required viewing.
The Conference League champions keep on keeping on in Europe!
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. Another big chance for Orri Óskarsson, who should force Jon Martin’s deflected shot into the bottom-left corner … but allows Djordje Petrović to make a stop on the line! Petrović has earned his corn tonight.
Dwight McNeil dances down the middle and slips a pass down the right channel for Eddie Nketiah, who chops inside before completing the rout.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Lech Poznań. Radosław Murawski picks up a second booking for needlessly shoving over a Palace player, and off he goes. And then …
GOAL! Juventus 5-0 NEC (Muani 82) GOAL! Besiktas 4-1 Marseille (Poku 81) GOAL! Lillestrom 1-2 Torreense (Olsen 79) The first two matches over already … the third one not so much.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. Sociedad get closer and closer. Luka Sučić rolls a delicious defence-splitter down the inside-right channel to release Orri Óskarsson into the box. Óskarsson has just Djordje Petrović, and tries to casually sidefoot across the keeper towards the bottom left. That allows Petrović to parry and the loose ball is blootered clear.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. Luka Sučić finds Sergio Gómez in acres of space down the left. A cross is whipped through the six-yard box. Orri Óskarsson sticks out a leg but can’t make contact. A toenail on that, and it was in. Bournemouth suddenly looking like a team who have shipped lots of leads this season.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. A cross into the Bournemouth box from the Sociedad left. Orri Óskarsson prepares to head home from close range … only for Antonio Silva to eyebrow over the bar, just in time. Nothing comes of the corner, but Real are turning up the heat again.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. The Cherries have done a good job of containing their hosts during the last few minutes. Marcus Tavernier tries to launch a counter down the left, but he’s swarmed by blue and white shirts, and there’s nobody in red and black up with him.
GOAL! Juventus 4-0 NEC (Celik 75). It’s long been over in Turin, but Zeki Celik makes super-sure.
Celtic 1-3 Ferencvaros. Some more long-range empty-net action, this time at Celtic Park, where Mariano Gómez sloppily lets the ball run to Benjamin Nygren while his keeper Ádám Varga is on manoeuvers. From 30 yards, his shot sails harmlessly over the frame of the wide-open goal.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. Evanilson is withdrawn by Marco Rose … and harrumphs his way down the tunnel with a face on. Then Mikel Oyarzabal tries to catch Djordje Petrović, on walkabout, with a floater from long range. The ball lands on the roof of the net.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Lech Poznań. Palace are protecting their big lead like the European campaigners they’ve become.
Celtic 1-3 Ferencvaros. Benjamin Nygren cuts in from the right and sends a rising drive inches wide of the top-left corner. Not sure Ádám Varga would have got fingers to that.
GOAL! Plzen 0-3 Union Saint Gilloise 3 (Kricfalusi 59). Checkmate in Czechia.
GOAL! Besiktas 3-1 Marseille (Murillo 59). … and then Michael Murillo doubles it in short order!
GOAL! Besiktas 2-1 Marseille (Cerny 56). Vaclav Cerny re-establishes the Turkish side’s lead in Istanbul …
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth. The Cherries have already given up winning positions against Manchester City, Everton, Newcastle United and Brentford this season. Not again?
Sergio Gómez cuts in from the right and crosses. A low inswinger. Mamadou Sarr flings out a leg in the hope of prodding home, but doesn’t make contact. Doesn’t matter! The ball curls its way into the bottom left, and it’s game on at Anoeta!
Lillestrom 0-2 Torreense (Pozo 49). Manuel Pozo doubles the lead for the first club from outside the top flight to play in the Europa League. (Torreense won their first Taça de Portugal last season.)
Real Sociedad 0-2 Bournemouth. … so having said all that, Bournemouth launch their first meaningful attack of the second half, Justin Kluivert nearly skinning Mamadou Sarr for pace down the right. But Sarr sticks to his man, just. Kluivert is forced to turn tail, but Bournemouth come again and a corner’s won, from which Alex Scott shins over the bar from distance. Still, all of that has put a stop to Sociedad’s early-second-half gallop.
Real Sociedad 0-2 Bournemouth. Pellegrino Matarazzo has given his players the what-for during the break, because Sociedad have come out for the second half with renewed purpose. Now it’s Bournemouth who are struggling to get out of their final third. They’re holding firm so far, though, and will be hoping their hosts get frustrated sooner than later.
Celtic 1-3 Ferencvaros. Celtic Park is silenced. And there are gaps all over the shop. The hosts are fortunate Bamidele Yusuf tries to con the referee with a flop over Liam Scales’s extended leg, instead of knocking the ball past his man and beating him in a footrace, which he would have done. He doesn’t even win a free kick, but nor is he booked for the dive. All very Celtic need to dig deep here, or things could quickly get embarrassing.
Bamidele Yusuf, who has been a thorn in Celtic’s side all evening, drops deep, and sprays a long diagonal pass towards Daniel Arzani on the left. Arzani is in acres. He cuts infield, reaches the edge of the box, and sends an unstoppable screecher into the top-right corner! Viljami Sinisalo had no chance!
The second halves begin. And there’s big news early doors …
Besiktas 1-1 Marseille Celtic 1-2 Ferencvaros Crystal Palace 3-0 Lech Poznan Juventus 3-0 NEC Levski Sofia 0-1 Red Bull Salzburg (F) Lillestrom 0-1 Torreense OFI 2-0 Hoffenheim (F) Plzen 0-2 Union Saint Gilloise Real Sociedad 0-2 AFC Bournemouth
(with apologies to Alejandro Alfaro of Torreense for failing to report his 23rd-minute goal)
GOAL! Plzen 0-2 Union Saint Gilloise (Biondic 43). And with Mateo Biondic putting USG two up at the break, it’s time for the half-time scores …
What price a Palace-Bournemouth final? Going too early with this?
Bournemouth have much schooled Sociedad from the get-go. What an opening 45 to their first-ever European campaign!
That’s much the last kick – the last flick – of the half. Martin O’Neill was raging before the game; now he’ll be on a rolling boil. Penny to be in the home dressing room at Parkhead.
Well that bhurst of Bhoys bhliss didn’t last long. Bamidele Yusuf turns Kieran Tierney inside out down the right, then nutmegs Callum McGregor to find Kristoffer Zachariassen, who cheekily back-flicks home from six yards!
… but Scales and Celtic won’t give two hoots about that now! Kieran Tierney bursts into the box down the left and cuts back accurately for Mika Baur, who sweeps home from his unchallenged position, ten yards out!
Celtic 0-1 Ferencvaros. Uefa have decided Ferencvaros’s opener was a Liam Scales own goal. Bamidele Yusuf’s cross-cum-shot looked on target, but the pen-pushing classes have to justify themselves somehow.
GOAL! Juventus 3-0 NEC (Woltemade 35 pen). The on-loan Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade secures all three points for Juve.