Crvena zvezda 1-1 Celtic – Point taken in Belgrade and it could be crucial

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The Celtic Star

·25 septembre 2025

Crvena zvezda 1-1 Celtic – Point taken in Belgrade and it could be crucial

Celtic could have and should have won in Belgrade last night, but a point is acceptable and could turn out to be crucial…

Celtic fans ahead of kick-off Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo: Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

We opened our Europa league campaign with a point after a 1-1 draw in the teeming rain of Belgrade against Red Star. Today many of us will be thinking about those missed chances at the start of the second half when Celtic enjoyed their best spell in the match. A second goal though didn’t come and eventually we conceded a soft goal from a set play to turn three points into one.

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However the most important thing last night was not to lose on the opening night as that would have put us on the back foot for the rest of the campaign. It was a game which could have gone either way truth be told, but when all is said and done we can’t have any real complaints about the final outcome.

Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

We probably should have claimed all three points as we had chances we should have put away, such as Cameron Carter Vickers gilt edged miss on the stroke of the interval, whilst Kelechi Iheanacho could have converted two chances after his wonderful opener, and Benjamin Nygren ran onto a wonderful pass for Kieran Tierney but hit the keeper with his shot with plenty of the goal to aim for. But in the cold light of day a point is more than acceptable in the end.

Red Star Belgrade 1-1 Celtic.Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic celebrates his goal Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

The home side had their chances too, with Kasper Schmeichel producing a top class stop from a long range effort to stop Red Star taking a first half lead, but apart from their goal, we looked pretty secure in defence with Liam Scales and Cameron Carter Vickers rocks at the back with young Colby Donavan and Kieran Tierney both having fine matches.

Crvena zvezda vs Celtic Glasgow UEFA Europa league match at Rajko Mitic stadium, Belgrade 24.09.2025 Photo: Marko Metlas/MN Press

Red Star looked a pretty average side it has to be said, maybe Celtic like ourselves were expecting more from them but we can’t grumble with a point against a side who have won all their seven domestic games thus far.

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