Reo Hatate endured a dramatic opening 45 minutes as Celtic were held to a 2-2 draw by Bologna in their Europa League clash at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
The Japanese midfielder opened the scoring before being dismissed for two quick yellow cards, leaving the Scottish champions to defend their advantage with 10 men for the entire second half.
Despite taking a two-goal lead, Celtic were unable to withstand sustained pressure as Bologna fought back to claim a point.
Celtic struck early after Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski gifted possession to Daizen Maeda inside the penalty area.
Maeda squared the ball for Hatate, who tapped home from close range. Bologna responded strongly, forcing Kasper Schmeichel into several saves, while Liam Scales made a vital block to halt the hosts’ momentum.
However, Hatate’s sending-off shifted the balance of the game. Even so, Celtic doubled their lead against the run of play when Auston Trusty converted Arne Engels’ flick-on at the back post shortly before half-time.
Bologna pulled one back soon after the restart, with Thijs Dallinga heading home to reignite the contest. The pressure continued, and Jonathan Rowe eventually levelled the score with 18 minutes remaining, firing past Schmeichel, who was unsighted in a crowded area.
Celtic spent much of the closing stages penned inside their own half but showed resilience to limit Bologna to few clear-cut chances as both sides settled for a draw.
Despite being a man down, Brendan Rodgers’ side would have been disappointed to surrender a two-goal cushion.
Bologna dominated possession after the break, recording 84.4% of the ball and finishing with 2.34 expected goals from 34 shots, compared to Celtic’s 1.99 xG from just eight attempts.
Schmeichel’s seven saves proved crucial and keep Celtic’s play-off hopes alive, though qualification will now depend on results elsewhere.
