Celtic fell to an embarrassing 2-0 loss at home to Sporting Braga in their Europa League round of 32 match at Parkhead. The game drew backlash when Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho had a goal ruled out for handball after a long VAR review. This decision would ultimately leave Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers scratching his head. This very controversial event changed the course of the match dramatically. Simultaneously, Ricardo Horta’s remarkable goal for Braga turned Celtic’s frustrations into fury with their fans.
The match opened with Braga getting on the front foot right away. Horta’s brilliant strike from outside the box opened the scoring, as Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel struggled to react in time. The landmark goal definitively changed the flow and tone of the game. Celtic battled desperately for an equalising goal but were found wanting on the night in the face of Braga’s resilience and the brilliance of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
Controversy Over Iheanacho’s Disallowed Goal
Bright in the second half, Iheanacho eventually hit the jackpot with a precise finish. That second half substitution would prove to be the key turning point of the game. That joy was short-lived. After a VAR check, officials ruled the goal wasn’t valid because of a handball in the play leading up to it. Rodgers took issue with the call after the match in an emotional interview.
“There’s absolutely no way from every angle you look at that he’s touched it. So it’s hit his face, he’s gone away and finished it really, really well. That’s a big moment in the game for us.” – Brendan Rodgers
The referee’s decision was confusing to nearly everyone. Rodgers went as far as to ask why the appropriate official wasn’t requested to review the incident in person. His incredulousness underscored a mounting frustration with the quality of officiating in key games.
“I can’t understand why the referee isn’t asked to go and have a look at it.” – Brendan Rodgers
Even after that poor result, Celtic kept pushing the pace in attempts to get back level. Hornicek’s impressive performance in goal for Braga thwarted several attempts from the home side, further compounding Celtic’s frustrations.
Fan Discontent and Calls for Change
Then, as the match wore on, crimes made at the Holy Ground started to upset and frustrate many Celtic fans. In response, the Celtic Fans Collective called off a proposed 29-minute silence. This decision followed a pledge from supporter groups to organize meetings between supporter groups and board members. At full-time, fans joined together and revealed yellow cards calling for the sacking of the board. They expressed their dissatisfaction with fervent calls of “all celtic fans vs the board.”
The team’s unsightly performance ignited a revolt from fans. Their lack of goal scoring prowess turned into an acute problem clearly seen over the past weeks matches. Rodgers didn’t hide from this issue at all in his post-match assessment.
“Whatever it is, I need to find the solution to it because there’s been too many games now where we haven’t scored; last year we scored the most goals in the last 54 years of the club’s history.” – Brendan Rodgers
Celtic supporters entered this season expecting a titanic race for the title. Yet they departed Parkhead then, down-hearted by yet another inability to find the net on your home ground. The scrutiny on players and coaches alike has only increased as they continue to deal with their offensive struggles.
Looking Ahead: Can Celtic Turn Things Around?
Celtic’s lack of cutting edge in the final third is becoming a serious worry. Having scored only twice across their last four games, the pressure is increasing on finding answers from Rodgers. He stressed that we should all be moving to solve these problems much more urgently.
“I need to somehow find the solutions to that because like I said, we haven’t been scoring.” – Brendan Rodgers
As they look ahead to their next fixtures, both players and management will need to reflect on their tactics and performances. Yet the next few matches are key for already-challenged Celtic. For all of them, they need to reverse their recent fortunes and rebuild trust among their supporters.
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