Celta Vigo came from behind to beat Celtic 2-1 in the Europa League, and Javi Rodriguez turned the match in the space of three minutes. Celtic had led through Mika Baur after the break, but Rodriguez answered with a header in the 68th minute and then a strike from outside the box in the 72nd.
The result matters now because it leaves Celtic with three straight defeats in the competition and still among the four clubs in the 36-team table yet to register a point. That is the part of the standings searchers are looking for: Celtic are not just losing games, they are failing to get off the mark at all in Europe, even with a home match in hand and pressure building around every result.
Callum Osmond’s first-half penalty appeals were central to the night’s frustration. He went down after a push from Javi Rueda, but the referee did not award a free-kick, and Camilo Duran was booked for protesting after the appeals. Celtic had chances before the turnaround too, with Liam Scales hitting the crossbar before Celta Vigo completed the comeback, but the game turned on the moment that was not given and the two that were.
There is the contradiction that will hang over Celtic’s European campaign for now. They arrived after an emphatic seven-1 win against Hearts and still left with another damaging night in Europe, this time at home and with no points to show for it. In domestic terms, they remain four points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but that advantage does nothing to ease the pressure in the Uefa Europa League.
For Celtic, the next test comes quickly: Hibernian away at Easter Road on Sunday at 12pm. That match will not settle the standings question in Europe, but it will show whether this group can carry domestic control into a week that has already exposed how fragile their campaign has become.
