Celtic suffer Europa League hammer blow as Seville flashback shows what club have lost on continent

Celtic’s European campaign lurched into concern, as two goals in three minutes from Javi Rodríguez transformed a promising night into a chastening 2-1 defeat, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side still searching for their first Europa League points.

Having responded to last Thursday’s heavy 4-1 loss to Benfica on Matchday two with a spectacular 7-1 demolition of Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, Celtic arrived with renewed confidence and the hope that domestic inspiration might translate into European progress. Instead, a match of limited quality was settled by a devastating intervention from the Spaniards, whose composure and clinical finishing exposed familiar frailties in the home side.

The defeat was particularly painful given the significance of the occasion. The teams last met in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup, when Martin O’Neill’s side prevailed on away goals to propel them towards the final in Seville. That tie remains a cherished memory of a period when European nights at Celtic Park offered genuine possibility of great reward.

Celta Vigo's Javi Rodriguez celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game against Celtic | PA

This meeting instead underlined the distance Celtic must travel to recapture that sense of adventure. The Green Brigade’s boycott of European home fixtures, introduced amid an ongoing dispute with the club hierarchy, added another layer of unease, although the 3,000-strong travelling support ensured that atmosphere was not entirely lacking.

O’Neill had called for the same backing that accompanied the Hearts rout in his programme notes, and his players briefly offered grounds for optimism. But one well-taken goal was not enough. Defeat extended their losing streak in Europe to four matches within a single campaign for only the second time, following a similar sequence in the 2017-18 Champions League.

Celtic’s record of conceding at least three goals in each of their previous three European outings had suggested defensive vulnerability. Here, the damage was inflicted in a different fashion: through a brief but decisive collapse after they had taken the lead.

For an hour, the hosts appeared capable of securing the result their predicament demanded. Mika Baur’s beautifully controlled finish early in the second half had put them ahead, and Liam Scales subsequently came within inches of doubling their advantage. Yet Celta Vigo, eighth in La Liga and managed by the highly regarded 38-year-old Claudio Giraldez, demonstrated why they had reached the Europa League quarter-finals last season.

How Celtic 1-2 Celta Vigo unfolded

The opening period offered little to justify the significance of the occasion. Celta, lining up in a 3-4-3 formation, enjoyed much of the possession and dictated the tempo, while Celtic retreated into a cautious shape and struggled to establish any sustained rhythm in attack. Iago Aspas, the visitors’ veteran forward, fired over from the edge of the area as Celta began to turn the screw.

Celtic’s clearest early opportunity came after 20 minutes when Haissem Hassan reached the byline and picked out Camilo Duran. The Colombian’s header, though, was directed straight at goalkeeper Ionut Radu. Two minutes later, the home support were left furious when Callum Osmand went down just outside the box after a blatant shove in the back from Javi Rueda. Referee Georgi Kabakov rejected the penalty appeals, while Duran was booked for his protests.

There was little else to stir the home crowd during the first-half. But Celtic emerged with greater purpose after the break and were rewarded almost immediately. Within two minutes of the restart, Hassan again drove down the right and sent a dangerous ball into the penalty area. After it struck a Celta defender, the ball broke invitingly for Baur, who had started the move and followed it into the box. The Germany international guided a first-time finish into the bottom corner with admirable precision.

Scales then went agonisingly close to a second when his looping header from a corner clipped the crossbar just past the hour mark. For a spell, Celtic’s compact defensive block frustrated the visitors, whose possession became increasingly lateral and predictable.

Then came the decisive reversal. Hugo Alvarez delivered a pinpoint free-kick from deep on 68 minutes and Rodríguez wriggled away from Scales to power a header beyond Johnstone. O’Neill reacted furiously on the touchline, believing a foul on Duran had preceded the award of the free-kick. Those protests earned him a yellow card.

Mika Baur celebrates with Celtic team-mate Callum Osmand after scoring to make it 1-0 against Celta Vigo | SNS Group

Three minutes later, Rodríguez struck again in devastating fashion to ensure he had the final word. Celtic failed to clear their lines as the ball broke towards the edge of the penalty area. The full-back took a touch before unleashing an unstoppable drive from around 20 yards, its accuracy matching its ferocity. Johnstone had no chance, sparking bedlam among the away support, who were in fine voice throughout.

Supporters streamed for the exits as the prospect of another damaging European evening became reality. Celtic’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages are now fading rapidly.