Celtic Fall to Ferencvaros in Europa League Opener

Celtic Park has seen some bruising European nights. This was another one to file under “self-inflicted”.

Four days after their Old Firm collapse, Martin O'Neill’s side followed it up with a 3-1 home defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener, a scoreline built almost entirely on their own defensive errors.

O'Neill had promised a response after the League Cup loss to Rangers. What he got instead was a repeat performance: bright start, soft goals, rising anger from the stands.

Bright opening, brutal punishment

For 20 minutes, Celtic looked alive. James Forrest, back on the left and playing like it was 2015 again, kept driving at Ferencvaros. On eight minutes he whipped in a teasing cross for Camilo Duran, who took a heavy second touch and dragged his effort past the post. Early control, early intent.

Then the old problems resurfaced.

On 20 minutes, Kieran Tierney failed to deal with a cross. The ball dropped to Bamidele Yusuf, whose shot was heading on target anyway before Liam Scales turned it into his own net. One ball into the box, one mistake, one goal. Celtic had been on the front foot; suddenly they were chasing.

Viljami Sinisalo had to be sharp soon after, getting down well to push away a low strike from Daniel Arzani after the Australian winger skipped past Cameron Carter-Vickers. The warning signs were there. Celtic did not read them.

They still carved out chances. Haissem Hassan almost met another Forrest delivery at the back post but Cadu slid in to clear. Moments later Hassan teed up Callum McGregor on the edge of the box, only for his shot to clip a defender and fly wide.

The pressure finally told just before the break. On 44 minutes, Tierney at last delivered the cross he had been searching for all night, and Mika Baur met it with a thumping finish to haul Celtic level. Celtic Park roared. A lifeline, and at what seemed the perfect time.

It lasted barely a minute.

Two goals in three minutes, game gone

Straight from the restart, Celtic imploded again. Yusuf rolled Tierney too easily, McGregor dithered instead of clearing, and Kristoffer Zachariassen darted in to flick the ball past Sinisalo. From 1-1 to 2-1 in the blink of an eye. From relief to disbelief.

If that felt like a punch to the gut, what came next was worse.

Celtic kicked off the second half and almost immediately handed Ferencvaros a third. Sloppy possession in a dangerous area, Colby Donovan caught out on a week when he had been celebrating his first Scotland call-up, and Arzani did the rest. One touch, then a vicious strike into the top corner on 47 minutes. Ferencvaros barely had to build attacks; Celtic simply kept gifting them opportunities.

At 3-1 down, the game’s pattern shifted. Ferencvaros sat in, disciplined and organised. Celtic had the ball, but not the belief or the precision.

Late push, no way back

O'Neill’s summer signings tried to inject some life. Carter-Vickers picked out Duran with a raking pass, and the forward’s cross was inches away from finding Kasper Hogh in front of goal. Benjamin Nygren curled an effort just wide as Celtic threw men forward.

They did force Adam Varga into action. Sebastian Tounekti’s powerful strike was beaten away by the Ferencvaros goalkeeper, and with Varga stranded moments later, Nygren tried an audacious effort from distance that sailed over the bar.

The flurry came late. Too late. When the final whistle went, those who stayed made their feelings clear. The boos were loud, pointed and familiar to O’Neill.

“I've been here 25 years ago where the crowd can react like that, so it's genuinely nothing new to me,” he said afterwards. He knew exactly what they were angry about.

Old problems, growing pressure

This wasn’t about being outclassed by a superior European side. Celtic’s wounds were almost entirely self-inflicted. Tierney hesitated, McGregor delayed, Donovan switched off, Scales turned into his own net. At this level, that catalogue of errors is fatal.

O’Neill had made four changes from the weekend defeat to Rangers, but the reshuffle did nothing to tighten the back line. The same cracks appeared, and Ferencvaros walked through them.

“Tonight was a European lesson for us in many aspects,” the Celtic manager admitted. “When we have decent possession of the ball, just don't give it away. We’ll get ourselves together. We need to re-energise ourselves as much as anything else.”

The frustration in the stands wasn’t just about one night. Duran and Hogh, headline summer arrivals, have yet to impose themselves in the biggest games. O’Neill is still openly talking about trying to work out his best starting XI. The season is moving faster than his solutions.

For now, Celtic will still sit top of the Premiership going into the international break, no matter what happens on Sunday. On paper, that buys time. In reality, it only raises the stakes.

Another Old Firm defeat to Rangers, on the back of this Europa League loss and that League Cup exit, would turn early-season questions into something far sharper.

Just months after delivering a league and cup double, O’Neill finds himself staring at the one thing Celtic managers can never afford for long: doubt.