Celtic suffered their third consecutive Europa League defeat, losing 2-1 to Celta Vigo at Parkhead, leaving their chances of progressing from the group stage hanging by a thread.
Martin O'Neill's side took the lead through Mika Baur early in the second half, but two goals in three minutes from Javi Rodriguez turned the match on its head. The result leaves the Hoops needing a miracle to escape the group stage.
O'Neill's Fury at the Officials
The Celtic manager was incandescent with referee Georgi Kabakov, reminiscent of his infamous bust-up with the same opponents in 2003 on the road to Seville. However, this time his side failed to come out on top.
Kabakov could have awarded Celtic a first-half penalty or at least a free-kick for a barge on Callum Osmand. He also should have blown for a foul on Camilo Duran in the build-up to Celta's equaliser. But the painful truth is Celtic can only blame themselves.
Celtic's Early Promise Fades
Celtic got into a strong position with Baur's opener against a mid-table La Liga side that were neat and tidy but nothing more. However, they retreated to the edge of their box and couldn't hold out as Rodriguez's double flipped the clash.
The Green Brigade went ahead with their boycott, and there were a few empty seats around the place. Viljami Sinisalo filled one – on the bench, with Sam Johnstone handed another chance between the sticks in a clash Celtic couldn't really contemplate losing.
Celta's Quality Tells
Celta Vigo, who had lost to Juventus and on the road at Omonoia Nicosia, were in the same boat. They seemed slick from the get-go, with club legend Iago Aspas still pinging passes at the age of 39. Celtic barely got a touch in a worrying opening 20 minutes.
Osmand was lively all night but pulled up on the hour and had to go off. James Forrest was a handy replacement, and Hassan got Parkhead going again with a 70-yard run to win a corner. Liam Scales clipped the top of the bar with his header from the set-piece as the Hoops hunted a second goal.
Second-Half Collapse
O'Neill's frustration at the ref boiled over when he got booked for one moan too many – and his blood levels spiked seconds later when Celta grabbed a leveller on 68 minutes. The set-piece from Hugo Alvarez was whipped, the header from Rodriguez was fierce, but Johnstone's attempt to keep it out was timid.
Barely three minutes later, the same man unleashed one from 20 yards that fizzed into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. O'Neill's rage didn't drop, but the heart had been ripped out of the Hoops as the punters headed for the exits.
