Benjamin Nygren once again underlined his growing influence at Celtic as his early strike set the tone for an entertaining 4-2 victory over FC Utrecht, a result that booked the Hoops’ place in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.
From the first whistle, Celtic played on the front foot, and it took just six minutes for the Swedish midfielder to make his mark with his 14th goal of the season.
From there, the momentum stayed firmly with the hosts. Barely four minutes later, Nygren turned provider, forcing a dangerous situation that ended with Nick Viergever diverting the ball into his own net.
As the contest opened up, Celtic continued to dictate the tempo, blending high-intensity pressing with sharp movement in the final third to keep Utrecht on the back foot.
“All we wanted tonight was to get the win and get to the next round, so I’m very happy,” he said after the match.
“We spoke about it a lot, not to give them any time on the ball, and we came out flying, pressed them as hard as we could and we got three pretty quick goals just like we wanted.
“In football, every goal counts as much. I just try to be in the right positions all the time in the box and then balls will come.”
With the play-off round now confirmed, Celtic await either Stuttgart or Ferencváros, but the focus remains firmly on maintaining momentum in Europe.
“Either team (Stuttgart or Ferencvaros) will be fine. We’re just happy to get to the next round and we’re looking forward to doing well in this competition.”
As the road in Europe continues, Celtic will take confidence from another commanding display, with Nygren once again at the heart of the action.
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