Celtic suffered a third consecutive defeat in the Europa League after surrendering a second-half lead to lose against La Liga side Celta Vigo at Celtic Park. The turnaround leaves the Scottish champions languishing near the bottom of the continental competition table.
Collapse at Celtic Park
Celtic appeared to take control early in the second half when Mika Baur scored to put the hosts ahead. The home side briefly built momentum as Liam Scales saw a header bounce off the crossbar, while Celta Vigo had previously struggled to create chances despite completing over 350 passes and recording just a single attempt on target during the opening period.
However, the momentum shifted completely within a three-minute spell between the 68th and 71st minutes. Celta Vigo capitalized on defensive mistakes to score twice and secure all three points, leaving Celtic without a win in the competition.
Mounting European Troubles
The defeat leaves Celtic in 35th position out of 36 teams in the Europa League standings, having scored three goals and conceded nine in their opening three fixtures. As reported by BBC Sport, manager Martin O’Neill pointed to unpunished infractions, including an uncalled foul on Camilo Duran prior to the equalizing goal, while emphasizing that plenty of points remain available in the group phase.
The result highlights a persistent gap between Celtic’s domestic dominance and their European form. Pundit Chris Sutton characterized the team as “flat-track bullies,” noting that resounding domestic victories—such as a recent 7-1 win over Hearts—have failed to translate into continental success, following previous European disappointments against LASK, Ferencvaros, and Benfica.
Fan Disconnect and Leadership Pressure
Beyond performances on the pitch, the club faces ongoing strain between its supporters and executive leadership. O’Neill and assistant manager Shaun Maloney have frequently been tasked with addressing the divide during media appearances, with key board figures absent from press conferences.
Although O’Neill stated after the match that he “can’t ask anything more” from his players, the defeat sparked early exits and visible frustration among the home crowd, underscoring the team’s sharp decline from past European campaigns.
Source: BBC Sport
