Celtic Throw Away Lead to Lose 2-1 to Celta Vigo
Celtic led Celta Vigo 1-0 at Celtic Park on Thursday, then lost 2-1. It is their third defeat in as many Europa League games.
Mika Baur gave Celtic the lead in the 47th minute. Soon after, Liam Scales rose to a header that struck the top of the crossbar, the bar that joins the two goalposts. Had it gone in, Celtic would have been 2-0 up. It did not, and the game turned.
Celta Vigo's Javi Rodriguez scored twice in three minutes to win it. Each goal came from a set piece, a free-kick or corner taken from a dead ball rather than open play, which is where Celtic's defending came under strain. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said his team should have been awarded a foul before the free-kick that led to the equaliser. BBC Sport
O'Neill also looked back at the missed chance. He said that if Scales' header had made it 2-0, Celtic would have won and taken three points. BBC Sport
The Europa League is one of Europe's three club competitions, below the Champions League. Its league phase puts every team in one table, and Celtic now sit 35th of 36. Only Ararat-Armenia are lower, and they stay ahead of Celtic only because they have the worse goal difference, meaning goals scored minus goals conceded. BBC Sport
The wider run is the harder part to read. Celtic have now lost their last four European matches and conceded 14 goals in that stretch. The last time they lost four straight European games in a single season was the 2017-18 Champions League. BBC Sport
That run began with a painful exit from the Champions League. Celtic led Austrian champions LASK 4-0 on aggregate, the combined score over two legs, in a play-off round. They then conceded five goals in 77 minutes and dropped into the Europa League. BBC Sport
Against Spanish sides, UEFA's records show Celtic have not won any of their last four matches, with one draw and three defeats. UEFA
For the supporters, the fixture list offers a quick chance to respond. Celtic host Besiktas in their next European match on 5 November. Points are not the only thing at stake there. A side that has lost four in a row needs to show it can close out a game when it is ahead, and the first goal in that sequence was the one they could not hold on to.
Those who missed the game can still follow the story. The match was broadcast live on TNT Sports 3, and the next fixture will bring Celtic back to their home crowd.
