Celtic's Europa League misery deepened as Javi Rodriguez scored twice in three minutes to give Celta Vigo a 2-1 comeback win at Celtic Park — the Spanish side's first points of the campaign. Mika Baur's strike two minutes after half-time had the Hoops dreaming, but Rodriguez's header and thunderous second condemned Martin O'Neill's men to a third straight European defeat.
Baur breaks the deadlock on a nervy night
Something had to give at Celtic Park: both sides arrived pointless from two games, Celtic having shipped seven goals and Celta beaten by Juventus and Omonia. The first half was as tense as the stakes suggested, Camilo Duran's booking the only entry of note in the referee's book as two anxious teams cancelled each other out.
There was a layer of history over the night: the last time Celta visited Celtic Park in Europe, in December 2002, the man in the home dugout was also O'Neill, whose side progressed in the UEFA Cup that season. Twenty-four years on, the 74-year-old is back as caretaker, fielding a young side — Colby Donovan, Dane Murray and Baur all started, with Sam Johnstone in goal — and asking them to rescue a campaign the club's supporters expect far more from.
The breakthrough came two minutes after the restart. Baur struck to send the home crowd into delirium and, for twenty minutes, Celtic looked like a side about to relaunch its season, building on the weekend's 7-1 thrashing of Hearts. James Forrest was introduced as O'Neill looked to stretch tiring visitors, while Celta coach Claudio Giraldez turned to Williot Swedberg and Ilaix Moriba.
Rodriguez turns the game in three minutes
Then, on 68 minutes, the night flipped. Hugo Alvarez delivered and Rodriguez rose to head Celta level, as The Scottish Sun's live coverage reported — and before Celtic had regrouped, the defender struck again on 71 minutes, a thunderous effort from outside the box that crashed in to silence Celtic Park.
Rodriguez had been Celta's match-winner against Alaves in La Liga at the weekend, setting up one goal and scoring another, and his double here was the work of a player in the form of his life. Celtic threw on Kasper Hogh and Sebastian Tounekti, but the equaliser never came, and a campaign that began with a 4-1 defeat by Benfica on Matchday 2 hit a new low. Celta, meanwhile, had arrived having lost 2-1 at home to Juventus — this was their first European win of the season, and it was fully earned.
So what: Celtic bottom, Celta breathing again
Celtic are pointless after three games, with nine goals conceded, and are running out of road: only a dramatic turnaround in the remaining five fixtures will keep them in this competition beyond January. Next up in Europe is a home game against Besiktas — seven points and unbeaten — on Matchday 4, Thursday 5 November, which already looks like a must-win.
The road does not get kinder: after Besiktas, Celtic must travel to Torreense in Portugal and to Omonia in Cyprus, two away days at the kind of compact, hostile grounds where this young side has yet to prove it can suffer and survive. O'Neill built his first Celtic reign on European nights at Celtic Park; this season, the home fortress is where the campaign is dying.
Celta climb to three points and into the play-off conversation. They host Union SG on Matchday 4, and with Rodriguez producing match-winning moments at both ends of the pitch, Giraldez's side suddenly has momentum in two competitions at once.
Beyond the Final Whistle: twenty minutes from lift-off, Celtic contrived to lose a game they controlled — and the manner of it, two goals in three minutes from a defender, will haunt O'Neill. Rodriguez was magnificent, but Celtic's collapse was self-inflicted: game management, again, was nowhere to be seen. Can Celtic still salvage this Europa League campaign, or is it already over? Let us know in the comments.
