UEL | Bologna 2-2 Celtic: Rowe rescues a point after nightmare start

Bologna came back from a nightmare start to draw 2-2 with 10-man Celtic thanks to Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe, but this will feel like a missed Europa League opportunity.

The Rossoblu were pushing for a potential top eight finish after winning three of the last four Europa League games, but missed Santiago Castro, Jhon Lucumi and Federico Bernardeschi, with Riccardo Orsolini and Martin Vitik only fit for the bench, Ciro Immobile, Remo Freuler, Lorenzo De Silvestri, new signings Simon Sohm and Eivind Helland cup-tied. Celtic were under their third manager of the season, but were without Kelechi Iheanacho, Jota, Marcelo Saracchi, Callum Osmand, Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a disastrous start, as Lukasz Skorupski made his comeback after more than two months out and the rustiness showed, as he passed it straight at Daizen Maeda inside the penalty area, allowing a roll across for the Reo Hatate tap-in.

What a mistake at the back from Bologna

Bologna pay the price as Celtic take an early lead through Reo Hatate

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Moments later, Skorupski stuck up a glove to push the Hyunjun Yang strike over from a tricky angle, while Nadir Zortea’s weak finish was an easy smother after Jonathan Rowe’s back-heel flick.

Bologna started to wake up, Thijs Dallinga shrugging off one defender and taking too long to get the shot away, then on the resulting corner Auston Trusty threw himself in the way of the half-volley.

Rowe’s pull-back from the by-line was cleared in a panic after a strong run down the right, while Kasper Schmeichel was tested twice by Juan Miranda on corner routines.

The hosts poured forward, Rowe and Miranda strikes charged down, and the pressure got to goalscorer Hatate. Just three minutes after he’d been booked, he received another yellow card for trying to slap Miranda in an off the ball incident, reducing Celtic to 10 men.

Incredibly, they still doubled their lead against the run of play, as a corner was flicked on by Engels, whose wayward header turned into an accidental assist for Trusty to tap in at the back post.

Auston Trusty doubles Celtic's advantage

They now lead 2-0 away from home

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Schmeichel made a big save on Tommaso Pobega’s header, redirecting the Nikola Moro strike, and the acrobatic Nicolò Casale volley after the restart.

They continued to waste chances, on 56 minutes Dominguez on the volley from a bouncing ball smashed his finish against the crossbar.

The siege finally paid off when substitute Jens Odgaard flicked on a cross from the right for Dallinga to nod in from close range.

Bologna pull one back through Thijs Dallinga

It's game on

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Rowe was a constant menace on the right, his pull-back deflected onto the roof of the net by Engels to threaten an own goal. He scored on the resulting corner, a stepover shimmying away on the edge of the box before smashing a ferocious strike under the bar.

Jonathan Rowe thumps in Bologna's equaliser

It's 2-2 in Italy

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They continued to pour forward, Orsolini’s header over the bar and Schmeichel parrying the Casale effort, but as we’ve seen so often this season, failed to make their dominance count.

Bologna 2-2 Celtic

Hatate 6 (C), Trusty 40 (C), Dallinga 58 (B), Rowe 72 (B)

Sent off: Hatate 34 (C)