Celtic's European campaign slumped to a new low following a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo, marking three consecutive losses in the Europa League for Martin O'Neill's side. Despite entering the tie fresh from a 7-1 thrashing of Hearts on Sunday, the Scottish champions once again saw their domestic form fail to translate onto the continental stage. Mika Baur had swept the hosts into the lead two minutes into the second half, but a quickfire double from Javi Rodriguez across three minutes handed the La Liga outfit all three points. The outcome leaves Celtic sitting 35th out of 36 clubs in the competition table, kept off rock bottom solely by Ararat-Armenia's inferior goal difference.
Following the collapse, manager Martin O'Neill focused on key turning points that went against his side, specifically a missed foul call just before Celta's equaliser and a Liam Scales header that grazed the top of the crossbar at 1-0. O'Neill insisted that converting that chance would have secured the victory, while noting that Celtic remarkably still retain an opportunity to advance if they can win both at home and on their travels. Scales was heavily involved throughout, registering a team-high 121 touches to finish well ahead of left-back Kieran Tierney on 79 and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on 69. However, goalscorer Baur offered a candid assessment, admitting the team deserved to lose given their display in the final half-hour.
The defeat extends an alarming European slump for Celtic, who dropped into this tournament after surrendering a 4-0 aggregate advantage against Austrian champions LASK by conceding five times in 77 minutes. O'Neill's men have now been beaten in four straight European outings while shipping 14 goals, matching a club record last set during the 2017-18 Champions League. Reacting on Sportsound, former Scotland attacker James McFadden argued that Celtic are "way short" of the standard required and routinely crumble when faced with adversity, while former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner highlighted that the squad is simply not good enough individually or collectively to handle a side sitting eighth in Spain's top flight.
Looking ahead, Celtic must quickly address these recurring defensive frailties if they are to revive their European ambitions. The Scottish champions will return to continental action on 5 November when they host Turkish side Besiktas. With three matches played and zero points on the board, O'Neill's squad faces mounting pressure to find a way to win and reverse their continental struggles before their qualification hopes disappear entirely.