Celtic had the lead, the crowd and the momentum, and then lost all three inside about three minutes. Celta Vigo came from behind at Celtic Park with two goals from Javi Rodriguez in quick succession, and the Scottish champions now have no points after three games in the Europa League.
Baur strikes early in the second half
The first half gave Celtic little to enjoy. Celta had the ball for long spells without really opening the home side up, and Liam Scales and Dane Murray blocked nearly everything that came near the box. Ferran Jutgla fired just wide, and then forced Sam Johnstone into a smart save just before the break. The home fans were screaming for a penalty when Callum Osmand went down on the edge of the area under a push from Javi Rueda, but replays showed it was just outside the box and the referee waved play on.
Barely a minute into the second half, Celtic scored. Haissem Hassan had found it hard going against Marcos Alonso, but he ghosted past the former Chelsea man and put in a cross that was only half cleared. Mika Baur swept a side-footed finish low past Ionut Radu, and Celtic Park erupted. Scales then headed against the crossbar, and the chance to make it 2-0 never came back.
Rodriguez turns the game on its head
Celta stepped up a gear and Celtic did not have an answer. Rodriguez met a terrific free-kick delivery with a bullet header from close range to level. Within three minutes he had the winner, unleashing a rocket from 20 yards that flew past Johnstone. Martin O'Neill was furious that what looked like a clear foul on Camilo Duran went unpunished before the equaliser, but he also acknowledged that his team had lost control.
The result stung even more because of the high that came before it. Celtic hammered Hearts 7-1 on Sunday and the fans had begun to believe the attacking trio of Hassan, Osmand and Duran had found their rhythm. Celta were nowhere near as accommodating, and the visitors could have added to their lead late on.
Celtic's European problem
O'Neill said that if Scales's header had gone in, his side would have won the match. That may be true, but it has become a familiar pattern: Celtic fade on the big European night. Baur admitted that his team should have held on to the ball longer after scoring to take the momentum out of Celta's game. The defeat follows losses to Ferencvaros and Benfica, and O'Neill's team now need to win at home and away from it if they want to stay alive. It is a tall order, and the Celtic fans know it.
Match facts: Celtic 1-2 Celta Vigo, UEFA Europa League league phase, Celtic Park, Thursday 22 October 2026. Goals: Mika Baur (Celtic, barely a minute into the second half), Javi Rodriguez (Celta Vigo, header from a free-kick, second half), Javi Rodriguez (Celta Vigo, 20-yard winner, three minutes after the equaliser). Celtic have lost all three of their Europa League games so far.
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