UEL | Celtic 0-3 Roma: Ferguson nets first European goals

Roma are closing in on a spot in the Europa League knock-out rounds after a largely dominant 3-0 victory away against Celtic in Glasgow on Thursday evening: A Liam Scales own goal and a first-half brace from Evan Ferguson sending Gian Piero Gasperini’s side on their way to victory.

Roma had slipped to two consecutive defeats in Serie A prior to kick-off, their last victory in any competition coming in the 2-1 victory over Midtjylland in November. Gasperini gave Evan Ferguson the nod up front, alongside the club he supported growing up, with Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone and the returning Angelino named among the substitutes.

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Zeki Celik won Roma their first corner of the game five minutes in. Gianluca Mancini initially tried to claim that it was his header from Matias Soule’s delivery that took it past Kasper Schmeichel, but replays showed that it was actually a Liam Scales own-goal that sent the Giallorossi into an early lead in Glasgow.

The Giallorossi were the dominant force in the first half, registering eight shots in the opening 45 minutes, three of which were on target. Soule, Stephan El Shaarawy and Nicolo Pisilli all had a go midway through the first period. 

Their lead was doubled 10 minutes before the interval, Zeki Celik was freed on the right-hand side of the area and supplied the perfect low ball in for Ferguson, who just had to steer it in inside the six-yard box for 2-0. 

Gasperini’s side would claim their third on the stroke of half-time following a wonderful passage of possession in the final third. Soule was involved again, providing a brilliantly improvised ball in from the edge of the area, which Ferguson was able to turn in from 10 yards out. 

It looked as though the first half’s action was done after that, only for Mario Hermoso to bring down Arne Engels in the area on the following attack. 

There were several minutes of protests and delays from the Giallorossi, which saw El Shaarawy and Soule booked, but that might just have worked out in their favour as Engels struck the left upright when he was finally cleared to take the spot-kick. 

The hosts elected to make three changes at half-time, and saw an immediate shift in momentum: Kelechi Iheanacho, recently returned from injury, looked bright and determined. 

The Nigerian thought he had clawed one back, prodding home in similar fashion to Ferguson in the first half, but he was eventually flagged for a slight offside. 3-0 Roma it remained. 

Roma would also see another chalked off before full-time. Leon Bailey thought he had claimed his first Giallorossi goal with a well taken finish into the far corner inside the area, but he was also punished for an offside in the build-up. 

Tonight’s result sees Roma climb up to 10th place in the Europa League table, just one point outside the all-important top eight with two games against Stuttgart and Panathinaikos left to play before the end of the league phase.

Scales OG 6’, Ferguson 36’, 45+1’, 

11-12-2025 20:00

MatchDay 6

Celtic Park

Celtic

Roma

Live0 – 3

Player statistic

1st half

6′

Liam Scales

36′

Evan Ferguson(Assist: Zeki Celik)

Arne Engels

45+5′
 
 

45+1′

Evan Ferguson(Assist: Matìas Soulé)

45+3′

Mario Hermoso

45+4′

Stephan El Shaarawy

45+5′

Matìas Soulé

2nd half

78′

Evan Ndicka

88′

Jan Ziolkowski

Celtic

Roma

Starting lineups

1

Kasper Schmeichel
Goalkeeper

6

Auston Trusty
Defender

63

Kieran Tierney
Defender

46′

5

Liam Scales
Defender

42

Callum McGregor
Midfielder

41

Reo Hatate
Midfielder

77′

27

Arne Engels
Attacker

8

Benjamin Nygren
Attacker

46′

38

Daizen Maeda
Attacker

46′

13

Hyun-jun Yang
Attacker

62′

23

Sebastian Tounekti
Attacker

99

Mile Svilar
Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch
Defender

5

Evan Ndicka
Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini
Defender

22

Mario Hermoso
Defender

80′

19

Zeki Celik
Defender

8

Neil El Aynaoui
Midfielder

61

Niccolò Pisilli
Midfielder

85′

11

Evan Ferguson
Attacker

69′

18

Matìas Soulé
Attacker

69′

92

Stephan El Shaarawy
Attacker

69′

Substitutes

47

Dane Murray
Midfielder

24

Johnny Kenny
Attacker

12

Viljami Sinisalo
Goalkeeper

31

Ross Doohan
Goalkeeper

14

Luke McCowan
Attacker

17

Kelechi Iheanacho
Attacker

46′

28

Paulo Bernardo
Midfielder

46′

51

Colby Donovan
Midfielder

46′

56

Anthony Ralston
Defender

62′

10

Michel-Ange Balikwisha
Attacker

77′

4

Bryan Cristante
Midfielder

95

Pierluigi Gollini
Goalkeeper

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas
Defender

87

Daniele Ghilardi
Defender

17

Manu Koné
Midfielder

70

Giorgio De Marzi
Goalkeeper

43

Wesley
Defender

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini
Midfielder

69′

21

Paulo Dybala
Attacker

69′

31

Leon Bailey
Attacker

69′

24

Jan Ziolkowski
Defender

80′

3

Angeliño
Defender

85′