Celtic struggles continue in Europa League defeat

Celtic faced another disappointing match in the Europa League, registering a third consecutive defeat, which left them 35th of 36 teams in the competition after a loss to Celta Vigo. This defeat came on the heels of a 7-1 win against Hearts just a few days prior, which had raised hopes that Martin O'Neill's team had turned a corner. However, the stark contrast between their domestic success and struggles in Europe was evident once more.

Celtic initially took the lead with a goal from Mika Baur just after halftime, but their inability to maintain control allowed Celta to come back with two quick goals from Javi Rodriguez, leading to a 2-1 defeat. Post-match, O'Neill expressed his frustration over certain refereeing decisions and instances that seemed to adversely affect his team, questioning whether Celtic was simply "not good enough" to compete at this level. This sentiment was echoed by former Scottish player James McFadden, who criticized the team's performances during these European fixtures, stating, "Celtic are way short."

Celtic had previously looked poised for the Champions League before collapsing in a play-off round, giving up a 4-0 aggregate lead against Austrian champions LASK, which led to their drop into the Europa League. They have now lost their last four European matches, conceding 14 goals overall—a feat not seen since the 2017-18 Champions League.

McFadden highlighted a recurring issue where the team struggles under pressure, leading to a rapid drop in confidence, saying, "If something goes against them, the confidence drops, their heads drop, they stop playing forward."

O'Neill noted instances during the match that he believed could have tilted the result in Celtic's favor, mentioning a controversial free-kick that preceded Celta's equalizer and a missed opportunity from Liam Scales' header that could have made it 2-0. He maintained that had these moments gone differently, the outcome might have changed.

Central defender Liam Scales had the most touches of any player on the team, reflecting the confusion and lack of control among the players. Despite the loss, Baur acknowledged that his team did not perform well enough during key moments of the match.

Pat Bonner, a former Celtic goalkeeper, concluded that the current squad lacks the quality to compete effectively in European tournaments, stating, "I don’t think Celtic are good enough, individually and collectively, to take on a team that’s eighth in La Liga."

Celtic’s next European match will be on 5 November, where they will host Besiktas as they attempt to shake off their poor form in continental competition.