CELTIC EARNED a hard-fought 3-2 win over Real Betis in the Europa League tonight.
The Scottish club could not progress to the knockout stages and were guaranteed to finish third in their group before today’s game, and so boss Ange Postecoglou rested a number of first-team players.
It meant Liam Scales and James McCarthy were both given opportunities, as the Irish duo were named in the starting XI.
Celtic could face former boss Brendan Rodgers in the Europa Conference League, after the Foxes’ loss to Napoli earlier meant they did not progress in the Europa League.
Meanwhile, second-placed Dinamo Zagreb advanced to the knockout play-offs as Mislav Orsic’s long-range curler in the third minute clinched a 1-0 victory at Group H winners West Ham, who fielded a largely inexperienced team.
Marseille, already destined for the Europa Conference League, beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 in Group E, which was won by a Galatasaray team who settled for a 0-0 draw with second-placed Lazio.
Real Sociedad secured second place in Group B with a 3-0 win against PSV Eindhoven, who drop into the Europa Conference League.
Mikel Oyarzabal netted a 43rd-minute penalty and scored again in the 62nd minute before Alexander Sorloth struck in the final moments after Ibrahim Sangare’s red card for PSV.
Group A winners Lyon lost their 100 percent record in this season’s competition after a 1-1 draw against second-placed Rangers.
In the Europa Conference League, Tottenham’s postponed match against Rennes — called off due to a severe coronavirus outbreak at the north London club — looms large over Group G.
Second-placed Vitesse Arnhem beat Mura 3-1 to move three points clear of Tottenham, who now know they must beat group winners Rennes when the game is eventually rearranged if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.
Tammy Abraham scored twice for Jose Mourinho’s troubled Roma in a 3-2 win at CSKA Sofia that gave them top spot in Group C after second-placed Bodo/Glimt were held to a 0-0 draw by Zorya Luhansk.
More to follow
Collated Europa League results on Thursday:
Group A
Lyon (FRA) 1 (Bassey 49-og) Rangers (SCO) 1 (Wright 42)
Sparta Prague (CZE) 2 (Hancko 43, Hlozek 49) Brondby (DEN) 0
Group B
Real Sociedad (ESP) 3 (Oyarzabal 43-pen, 62, Sorloth 90+3) PSV Eindhoven (NED) 0
Sturm Graz (AUT) 1 (Jantscher 7-pen) Monaco (FRA) 1 (Volland 30)
Group C
Legia Warsaw (POL) 0 Spartak Moscow (RUS) 1 (Bakaev 17)
Napoli (ITA) 3 (Ounas 4, Elmas 24, 53) Leicester (ENG) 2 (Evans 27, Dewsbury-Hall 33)
Group D
Fenerbahce (TUR) 1 (Berisha 42) Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 1 (Sow 29)
Antwerp (BEL) 1 (Balikwisha 7) Olympiakos (GRE) 0
Group E
Lazio (ITA) 0 Galatasaray (TUR) 0
Marseille (FRA) 1 (Milik 35) Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) 0
Group F
Ludogorets (BUL) 0 Midtjylland (DEN) 0
Braga (POR) 1 (Galeno 52-pen) Red Star Belgrade (SRB) 1 (Katai 70-pen)
Group G
Celtic (SCO) 3 (Welsh 3, Henderson 52, Turnbull 78-pen) Real Betis (ESP) 2 (Bain 69-og, Borja 75)
Ferencvaros (HUN) 1 (Laidouni 82) Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 0
Group H
Genk (BEL) 0 Rapid Vienna (AUT) 1 (Ljubicic 29)
West Ham (ENG) 0 Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 1 (Orsic 4)
