This meeting between the 1969/70 European Cup finalists was a crucial one, with both teams looking to revive their respective campaigns.
In what could prove to be interim boss Martin O’Neill’s final game in charge, his team were keen to send him out on a high and produced a much more competitive first-half display than they have managed in recent weeks.
However, after Luke McCowan had been grateful to see the offside flag go up upon his missed open goal from a matter of yards, the home side took the lead when Sem Steijn broke free and squared to Ayase Ueda, whose shot from inside the area beat Kasper Schmeichel and found the bottom corner.
The Hoops responded well, though, and just after the half-hour mark, they drew level. A ball into the area found Reo Hatate, who hooked it to the far post where Yang Hyun-Jun was waiting to net from a tight angle.
The turnaround was complete two minutes before half-time in somewhat comical fashion, as goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther’s failed clearance rolled straight into the path of Hatate, whose first-time effort found an empty net.
Celtic had failed to score before half-time in any of their previous eight European outings, so there were plenty of reasons to be positive for the travelling supporters.
The home faithful would have expected their team to come out and produce a much-improved display after the restart, but it was Celtic who took control of the contest without necessarily looking overly threatening in attack.
Feyenoord had lost their last three matches in all competitions, and their lack of confidence was evident as they struggled to keep hold of the ball and create any pressure.
The Dutch side cranked up the pressure late on, with Gaoussou Diarra having an effort from inside the area deflected just wide before hitting the crossbar with a header in quick succession.
However, when Benjamin Nygren rifled the ball home inside the final 10 minutes, the Hoops supporters could finally celebrate a long overdue win on their travels, in what may prove to be a parting gift from O’Neill.
The victory keeps Celtic’s hopes of an automatic place in the round of 16 alive, while Feyenoord face an uphill task if they are to finish in the playoff places.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Reo Hatate (Celtic)
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