Nigerian forward Bamidele Yusuf delivered a superb individual performance as Ferencváros began their UEFA Europa League campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over Celtic at Celtic Park on Thursday night.

Yusuf scored once and provided two assists as the Hungarian champions stunned the Scottish giants on their home ground, playing a decisive role in all three Ferencváros goals.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring in the 20th minute after receiving the ball from Kristoffer Zachariassen. He cut inside before firing towards the far corner, with his effort taking a deflection off Celtic defender Liam Scales before nestling in the bottom corner.  

Celtic responded shortly before half-time when Mika Baur finished from Kieran Tierney’s delivery to level the contest in the 44th minute.

However, Ferencváros immediately regained control, with Yusuf again at the heart of the action. The Nigerian raced down the right before delivering a cross that allowed Zachariassen to restore the visitors’ lead in first-half stoppage time.  

Yusuf completed his outstanding contribution just two minutes into the second half when he set up Daniel Arzani, who cut inside before unleashing a superb strike into the top corner to put Ferencváros 3-1 ahead.  

The Nigerian’s performance underlined his growing influence since joining the Hungarian club, with his pace, direct running and ability to create chances proving difficult for Celtic to contain.

Ferencváros successfully protected their advantage for the remainder of the contest despite Celtic creating opportunities to reduce the deficit.

Yusuf was substituted in the 66th minute after completing his night’s work, with the Hungarian side holding on comfortably to claim all three points in their opening league-phase fixture.  

The victory also extended Ferencváros’ unbeaten run in European competition this season. According to AllNigeriaSoccer, the Hungarian side have now recorded seven wins and two draws across nine European matches.  

For Yusuf, the display adds to an encouraging start to the campaign. Before his Celtic heroics, he had already found the net against Trabzonspor and Vojvodina in the Europa League qualifying play-offs, while also scoring twice and providing an assist in the Hungarian top flight.  

The result gives Ferencváros an important early boost in the Europa League league phase, while Celtic must regroup after suffering a second successive defeat following their recent loss to Rangers.

Yusuf’s latest European masterclass also strengthens his growing profile as one of the Nigerian attackers making an impact in European football, with the forward now directly involved in four goals during a memorable night in Glasgow.