Ferencvaros v Celtic: Visitors boost knockout bid with second successive win

Jota's strike restored Celtic's first-half lead

Celtic significantly strengthened their hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout rounds with a crucial victory against Ferencvaros in Budapest.

The visitors led in the opening minutes through Kyogo Furuhahsi, and regained the advantage through Jota after a huge deflection enabled Oleksandr Zubkov to quickly haul Ferencvaros level.

Celtic move a point behind second-place Real Betis, who were thrashed 4-0 at Bayer Leverkusen, with two games to play in Group G.

Leverkusen are three points clear at the top, while Ferencvaros are stuck on zero and can no longer progress.

The second-placed team will go to the preliminary knockout round with eight teams dropping down from the Champions League, while third seals a Europa Conference League knockout place.

• Reaction & as it happened

Celtic's victory was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, although the late lapse that gave the hosts hope was a needless concession.

The Scottish side had revived their European League campaign by winning 2-0 at home to Ferencvaros a fortnight ago, but knew repeating the feat in Hungary was necessary to remain credible challengers for the knockout stages.

Manager Ange Postecoglou had labelled it must-win and his players did not hang about in a high-tempo attacking performance, surging ahead with a terrific finish from talisman Kyogo.

The Japanese still had plenty to do when Abada raced on to a stray pass from Eldar Civic and squared to him just inside the box. Kyogo feigned to shoot, flummoxing Miha Blazic, before switching the ball from right foot to left and finding the bottom corner.

However, the advantage was soon wiped out as a combination of carelessness and misfortune cost Celtic. Abada gave away possession in a dangerous area and Ferencarvos worked the ball across to the right, where Zubkov's attempted cross looped off the sliding Josip Juranovic and over Joe Hart.

There was no let-up in the frantic pace, with Ferencvaros harrying Celtic, who were having plenty of joy when they beat the press.

They regained the lead with a lightning raid instigated by Hart. The goalkeeper got down well to smother a Civic shot, then sprang Callum McGregor to break forward and find Jota on the left flank. The Portuguese winger cut inside and his 20-yard strike flew in off the post via a slight deflection that deceived former Hibernian keeper Adam Bogdan.

Hart denied the hosts another quickfire equaliser with a parry from Myrto Uzuni, but Celtic were in the ascendancy and began to tighten their grip on the game.

Only the crossbar kept their lead intact at the start of the second half as Tokmac Nguen's swerving drive from distance left Hart rooted, but Anthony Ralston then did likewise with a header at the other end.

Kyogo looked to have given Celtic breathing space with a dink over Bodgan from David Turnbull's defence-splitting pass, only for Miha Blazic to race back and hook off the line.

Celtic's third arrived soon after, though, and was a combination of graft and craft. Turnbull tracked back to dispossess Nguen and find McGregor, who quickly shuttled it on to Kyogo. The forward's brilliant slide-rule pass released Abada down the right to lash a shot past Bogdan from a tight angle.

Celtic were cruising to victory with little stress until substitute Mikey Johnston gave the ball away and Uzuni arced in a fine strike, but Postecoglou's men held firm for a deserved win.

More to follow.