Celtic manager Martin O’Neill hailed his team’s “colossal spirit” after they held Bologna to a 2-2 draw in Italy despite losing Reo Hatate to a first-half red card.
Hatate opened the scoring inside six minutes after a goalkeeping error but picked up two yellow cards in three minutes, firstly for a foul on Lewis Ferguson before a needless flick of the boot while chasing the ball with an opponent.
However, the impressive Auston Trusty netted after a 40th-minute corner to double the 10 men’s lead after making a string of blocks in the other penalty box.
Bologna fought back to level amid some relentless second-half pressure but Celtic also had some chances to win the game before leaving Italy with a point that sets them up well for their final Europa League game.
Victory over the already eliminated Utrecht at Celtic Park next Thursday would see Celtic move on to 11 points. Last year, 10 were enough to qualify for the play-off knockout round.
O’Neill, who was booked for dissent after Hatate’s red card, said: “Well, obviously the sending-off had a major effect on the game.
“I thought that we played brilliantly, got the goal and looked at a really decent outfit.
“I’ve seen the sending-off back. I must admit, maybe Reo’s caught the lad’s toe or foot. Maybe he should have been a bit more careful after having been booked. But overall, I thought it was pretty harsh, really. And it put us obviously on the back foot.
“So we spent all of the second half, or most of it, and the last bit of the first half, defending. But the effort the team put in, the spirit they showed, the willingness to get blocks in, to defend the penalty box in the manner in which they did, I thought was really, really splendid.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance – that’s all, a chance – of qualifying. And from that viewpoint, I’m delighted.
“My own view is that if we had stayed with 11 men, I think we would have won the game.”
O’Neill added: “Trusty was magnificent. He was absolutely magnificent. As he has been in my time here and I’m sure before that. I couldn’t give him any higher praise than the performance he put in. He was absolutely magnificent, as were the team.
“He and (Liam) Scales have been really, really great as a defensive two for me during the time that I’ve been here.
“Trusty epitomised the spirit of the team. It was colossal, really colossal.”
O’Neill revealed Japanese midfielder Hatate was apologetic after his red card.
“At half-time he was waiting for me, and at the end of the game,” he added. “You have to be a bit careful. It looked as if even the ball was going out of play towards me at the time.
“But I felt that the referee just couldn’t wait to get the yellow card up at the time. But I would think that anyway.”
Reo Hatate the hero and villain in dramatic Celtic draw at Bologna
Jadon Sancho comes in from the cold to seal Aston Villa’s Europa League progress
Harry Brook happy to ‘get back to day job’ despite England defeat
Chipotle honors its biggest fan and college football champion with his own menu item
Tottenham complete signing of highly-rated left-back Souza: ‘It’s a childhood dream’
Gianni Infantino aims jibe at British football fans during Davos speech
