Kelechi Iheanacho made an instant impact on his Celtic debut, coming off the bench to score as the Scottish champions battled to a 1-1 draw against Red Star Belgrade in their Europa League group stage opener at the Marakana.
The Nigerian striker, reunited with Brendan Rodgers after joining late in the transfer window, replaced the ineffective Daizen Maeda at half-time and wasted no time justifying his inclusion.
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After missing a close-range chance moments earlier, Iheanacho calmly converted a pass from fellow summer signing Benjamin Nygren to fire Celtic into the lead. His goal highlighted his sharp instincts in the box and immediately lifted the visitors’ belief.
However, Red Star found their equalizer through Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic, who bundled home amid a crowded penalty area to level the game. Arnautovic’s move to Belgrade was seen as a personal tribute to late Serbian legend Sinisa Mihajlovic, under whom he played at Bologna.
The contest proved evenly matched, with both sides creating opportunities but ultimately forced to settle for a point apiece. For Celtic, the draw offered encouragement, particularly with Iheanacho hitting the ground running in green and white.
