Celtic’s dramatic 1-0 victory over Young Boys on Wednesday night not only secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 12 years, but it also stirred memories of a strikingly similar encounter with the Swiss club back in 1993.

That night, in a UEFA Cup tie at Celtic Park, the Hoops also relied on a late own goal to progress past Young Boys, with Baumann’s unfortunate intervention sending Celtic through after a tense 0-0 stalemate dragged into extra time. Fast forward to 2025, and history has repeated itself in uncanny fashion, as Loris Benito’s late own goal secured Celtic’s passage in another nail-biting encounter.

While the 1993 tie is less remembered for the football than the controversy it sparked off the pitch, Wednesday’s win will go down as a purely footballing triumph. Back in the early ‘90s, Celtic Park announcer “Tiger Tim” unwittingly made himself a part of club folklore by calling for a minute’s silence during the extra-time break upon learning of Rangers’ European exit. The ill-timed announcement led to uproar, and “Tiger Tim” was promptly relieved of his duties.

The 2025 version of this fixture may have lacked the off-field theatrics of that infamous night, but it delivered on drama and a sense of déjà vu that Celtic fans will relish. Both occasions have etched themselves into the club’s European history, proving that some things never change—Celtic finding joy against the Swiss side in the most bizarre of fashions.

For Brendan Rodgers and his side, Wednesday’s victory now stands as another chapter in Celtic’s proud European story, one that eerily mirrors the past in the best possible way. As fans revel in the club’s progress, they’ll no doubt be reflecting on the spooky symmetry of two unforgettable nights against the Swiss side, separated by over three decades.