GLASGOW, Scotland — Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi experienced a frustrating first half during the Champions League clash against Young Boys, having three goals disallowed. Despite the missed chances, Celtic secured a narrow 1-0 victory, marking their advancement into the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

The match, held at Celtic Park, was attended by renowned fan Rod Stewart, who watched on as the excitement unfolded. Despite both teams having opportunities, it remained scoreless at halftime, including a penalty kick from Young Boys’ Arne Engels that was spectacularly saved, keeping the game at 0-0.

With Celtic in desperate need of a win to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time since 2013, the breakthrough finally came in the 86th minute through an unfortunate incident involving a Young Boys player. The decisive moment arrived when a shot from Celtic striker Adam Idah was saved by goalkeeper Marvin Keller, only for the ball to deflect off defender Loris Benito and into the net.

Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers expressed his relief and pride, stating, “A little bit of history is created. We haven’t been in the knockout stages for a long time.” The loss pushed Young Boys into last place in the standings, marking their seventh consecutive defeat in the new Champions League format.

Starting the game in 23rd position, Celtic needed this win prior to their upcoming match against Aston Villa next Wednesday, with the top 24 teams heading to the knockout rounds. Furuhashi’s disallowed goals in the sixth and 34th minutes and a review that overturned another goal from the 31st minute due to a foul by captain Callum McGregor before the assist left the Japanese forward frustrated.

Keller’s impressive save of a penalty in the 41st minute from Engels, who attempted a stutter-step approach, emphasized the tense nature of the game. Ultimately, Celtic’s perseverance paid off with their late goal, sealing a memorable evening for the Scottish champions.