Celtic's Defensive Chaos Costs Them Again in Europa League
The boos at full-time were loud. The worry was louder.
Celtic, still stinging from their Old Firm collapse, unravelled again at home as Ferencvaros left Glasgow with a 3-1 win and a European statement that cut right through Martin O'Neill’s plans for a reset.
This was supposed to be a response. Instead, it felt like a repeat.
Bright start, brutal punishment
For 20 minutes, Celtic looked alive. James Forrest, thrown in from the start, was buzzing down the flank like it was 2015 again. He whipped in an early cross for Camilo Duran, who took an extra touch and dragged his effort wide. Celtic were on the front foot, Ferencvaros pinned back, the crowd engaged.
Then the old problems walked back through the door.
A routine cross came in from the right. Kieran Tierney misjudged it, Bamidele Yusuf pounced, and his shot cannoned off Liam Scales and into the net. Own goal. 1-0 Ferencvaros. Another soft concession. Another Celtic defence caught flat-footed in their own box.
Ferencvaros sensed vulnerability. Daniel Arzani forced Viljami Sinisalo into a sharp low save after skipping past Cameron Carter-Vickers. Celtic wobbled, then rallied.
A lifeline – then instant self-destruction
Just before the break, Celtic finally broke through. Tierney, desperate to atone for his part in the opener, swung in a cross from the left and Mika Baur met it with conviction, drilling the ball high into the net. Celtic Park roared. Level at 1-1, right on half-time. A lifeline.
They dropped it almost immediately.
Straight from the restart, Ferencvaros carved them open again. Yusuf bullied his way past Tierney, Callum McGregor hesitated instead of clearing, and Kristoffer Zachariassen reacted first to flick the ball past Sinisalo. From parity to panic in seconds.
It summed up Celtic’s night: every step forward followed by a stumble straight back.
Second-half collapse
If O'Neill’s half-time message was about tightening up, it didn’t land.
Barely two minutes into the second half, Celtic coughed up possession in a dangerous area. Ferencvaros didn’t need a second invitation. The ball fell to Arzani, who took one look and lashed a stunning strike into the top corner. 3-1. Celtic Park fell flat.
Colby Donovan, celebrating his first Scotland call-up this week, was among those exposed in that sequence. It was a harsh reminder that international recognition does not guarantee composure on European nights.
From there, Ferencvaros controlled the tempo. Celtic huffed, chased, and tried to drag themselves back into it, but the damage was done.
Late flurry, no way back
O'Neill turned to his bench. Kasper Hogh was thrown on, Duran shifted, the shape tweaked. There were half-chances, then better ones.
Carter-Vickers sent Duran down the right and his cross skimmed agonisingly beyond Hogh’s reach. Benjamin Nygren curled one just wide. Sebastian Tounekti forced Adam Varga into a strong save. Nygren then spotted Varga off his line and went for the spectacular from distance, only to send it over the bar.
Celtic pushed. Ferencvaros stood firm. The final whistle brought a wave of boos from those who stayed. Many hadn’t.
Big signings, bigger questions
This was not just about one bad night. The pattern is becoming familiar.
O'Neill made four changes from the Old Firm defeat, but the same flaws resurfaced: slack defending, poor decision-making in their own third, and a lack of ruthlessness when chances came. Celtic dominated spells of possession yet repeatedly handed Ferencvaros their openings.
The summer recruits, Duran and Hogh among them, have yet to impose themselves when it matters most. These are the games they were signed for. These are the games passing them by.
O'Neill has admitted he is still searching for his best XI. Time is not his friend. Two Old Firm clashes and a European opener in eight days was always going to be a brutal schedule; one win from those three was the minimum expectation among supporters. They are now staring at the possibility of three defeats in a row.
For a manager who delivered a league and cup double only months ago, the temperature around him has shifted quickly.
O’Neill: “A European lesson”
After the game, O'Neill didn’t sugar-coat the mood.
"We're naturally disappointed getting beaten," he said. "It's not the start we wanted. We have seven games in which to try and get some points on the board. Really need to concentrate now on Sunday [against Rangers]."
He called it "a European lesson" and spoke about the need to re-energise his squad and take better care of the ball, while also accepting the crowd’s anger.
"I've been here 25 years ago where the crowd can react like that, so it's genuinely nothing new to me," he said. The frustration, he admitted, came from watching his team go forward with intent, only to retreat into safe, backward passes that killed their own momentum.
Those are habits he insists must be “ironed out”. Quickly.
Rangers next – and no room for error
For now, Celtic will at least stay top of the Premiership heading into the international break, whatever happens on Sunday. On paper, that offers a layer of protection. In reality, it won’t count for much if Rangers leave Celtic Park with another win.
Back-to-back Old Firm defeats and a Europa League loss in the space of eight days? The fans won’t tolerate it. They made that clear under the lights against Ferencvaros.
The table says Celtic are still leading the way. The performances say something very different. How long can those two truths live side by side?
