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Exactly the plan- O’Neill is defiant on substitutions

No, I'm serious. I'm not standing up for myself. It was designed to do exactly what it did.

By Joe McHugh · VideoCelts

Published: Friday, 6 November 2026 at 7:13 AM

Key Things to Know

Martin O'Neill insisted his tactical substitutions against Besiktas were completely planned rather than a reaction to poor play.
Celtic scored three second-half goals through substitutes Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran to secure the European victory.
O'Neill cited fixture congestion as the reason for benching key forwards, noting the squad played several games in 24 days.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill defended his squad rotation and substitution tactics following a victory against Besiktas, insisting the match plan worked precisely as intended. After resting key players due to a congested schedule, all three Celtic goals were scored by second-half substitutes to overturn a goalless first half.

Substitutes Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran made an immediate impact, with Osmand equalizing before Duran struck twice to secure the win. O'Neill dismissed suggestions that the players should have started, emphasizing that squad rotation was essential after playing multiple matches in short succession.

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Exactly the plan- O’Neill is defiant on substitutions

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