Celtic

Celta Vigo scored twice in three second-half minutes to come from behind, beat Celtic and leave the Scottish champions' Europa League hopes hanging by a thread.

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Celtic boss Martin O'Neill tells TNT Sports: "We conceded a free-kick and I thought a second before that we should have had a foul for us. They score from the free-kick and it knocks us a little bit. It gave them a bit of momentum.

"I think if [Liam] Scales' header goes in to make it 2-0, we get the three points. We've lost three matches now, remarkably we're still in with a chance [of progressing]. We've got to win here and got to win away from home.

"We take the lead in the game, if we get the second goal we win the match and it changes the whole dynamic.

"It didn't happen, that's it - we need to try to find a way to win European games."

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Is once-feared Celtic Park now becoming a "tourist attraction" for visiting European teams?

Celta Vigo are Parkhead bound tonight for a Europa League meeting with Martin O'Neill's side, who have begun with defeats to Ferencvaros and Benfica.

The game is an "absolute must-win" for Celtic, according to fan and podcaster Paul John Dykes.

"The time is good for Celtic to kick on. We've set that up with a couple of domestic wins following the international break," he said.

"And if we could get this win tonight, it just shows you how quickly these things can turn. Martin O'Neill has come under quite a bit of criticism over the last few weeks. We've lost five games this season.

"I think some of the players who came in during the summer are starting to bed in. And if we get a result tonight, a lot of the mood music can change overnight.

"The atmosphere at Celtic Park, particularly on nights like tonight, that's one of our big selling points when we're trying to attract players to the club.

"And when teams come to Celtic Park in Europe, it's the atmosphere that they're waiting on. And you don't want that to become a tourist attraction. You want that to be something that they fear."

Stephen McGowan, football writer for The Herald, believes it is crucial Celtic follow up their 7-1 Premiership rout of Hearts with a statement European win.

"The reputation of Celtic on the pitch in Europe has taken an absolute battering," he said.

"So it's very important that they stop the bleeding. Celtic Vigo are coming to Glasgow and absolutely relishing it.

"There is a danger that Celtic Park becomes one of these places people want to go, not because it's feared, but because it's a magnificent experience as you have a very good chance of winning and having a good night out.

"So key to that is stopping all these goals going in and that's not going to be easy because obviously Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are not going to play and Auston Trusty is out with a personal bereavement.

"It's going to be a testing night for Celtic defensively."

Listen to the full Celtic v Celta Vigo preview on BBC Scottish football podcast

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Former Hibernian boss Shaun Maloney, 43, remains undecided whether football management is for him in the future and has denied suggestions he is currently pulling the strings at Celtic as Martin O'Neill's assistant. (Sun, external)

Celtic are continuing to monitor goalkeeper Balazs Toth after the 29-year-old Hungarian, with whom they were heavily linked in the summer, rejected offers of a new contract with Blackburn Rovers. (Football Insider, external)

Celta Vigo midfielder Ilaix Moriba has got the all clear to play in the Europa League against Celtic on Thursday, despite his house being raided and thousands of pounds of jewellery stolen. (National - subscription required, external)

Former Celtic captain and boss Neil Lennon questions whether there is enough mental health support for managers and feels criticism can be "way over the top". (Sun, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Celta Vigo head coach Claudio Giraldez hopes to tap into Carl Starfelt's inside knowledge despite the Swedish centre-half missing out on Thursday's Europa League game with a muscle injury.

The 31-year-old was with the Scottish champions for two seasons until 2023 and Giraldez said: "I spoke to him for him to provide us with some information about this stadium.

"He was here a long time ago but maybe he can give some insight about the team and the way we should approach the game.

"I saw him smile today a few more times than the previous days, which means he's ready to get better."

While Celtic are facing a boycott from their Green Brigade ultras, Celta are expecting around 3,000 of their supporters to travel to Glasgow and Giraldez hopes to make it "a special game" for them in "one of the best known stadiums in the world".

"I received more requests than usual to come," the former Atletico Madrid left-back revealed. "It shows everyone is really excited to be here and watch the game.

"We know it's a short competition this league. With eight games, we need to gain points as soon as possible, starting with three tomorrow.

"We need to play a good match on every level and we need to be calm."

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Celtic centre-half Auston Trusty has paid a touching tribute to his father after revealing he has passed away.

The 28-year-old United States international will miss Thursday's Europa League tie at home to Celta Viga as he deals with the death.

Trusty, born in Media, Pennsylvania, said on Instagram:, external "I will miss you every single day. Thank you for being the world's greatest dad, my role model and someone I will forever look up to.

"Forty-eight years of marriage to mom, six children and eight grandchildren - what an incredible life you lived and what a beautiful legacy you leave behind.

"Thank you for blessing each of our lives every day. I will forever cherish your countless stories, your wisdom, kindness, happiness and, above all, your unconditional love.

"I would never be the person I am today without you, your guidance and your unwavering dedication to our family. You gave us everything and I will spend my life trying to make you proud.

"To wear the Trusty name on the back of my shirt will forever be my greatest honor. I couldn't be prouder to be your son.

"We will miss you more than words could ever express, but your love and legacy will live on through all of us."

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Callum Osmand is eager to keep impressing in his new left-wing role after a "crazy few days" as he looks to build on his first Celtic start against Celta Vigo on Thursday night.

The 20-year-old forward, having recovered from a hamstring injury, scored a double in Sunday's 7-1 thumping of Hearts after a lively substitute appearance in the 4-1 Europa League loss at Benfica last week.

Osmand, who scored the clinching goal in Celtic's 3-1 title winning game against Hearts at Parkhead last season, came off at half-time on Sunday of only his eighth Celtic appearance as a precuation but will be ready for the visit of La Liga's Celta Vigo.

"It been a crazy few days and I'm really happy to have started my first game, finally, after a long time, long time out," said Osmand.

"It's been tough. Obviously, I've had my ups and my downs, but hopefully now it's just plain sailing and getting some more minutes.

"It sort of makes it like a sweeter moment, when you aren't playing and then you come straight into it and you can make an impact straight away.

"It's a good feeling and I want to keep on trying to create stuff, keep trying to make an impact and hopefully I can do that tomorrow night."

Osmand is relishing the positional change from central striker to playing out wide.

He said: "It's a new thing for me, but it's similar.

"I don't mind playing either of the attacking options to be honest, as long as I'm on the pitch I'm happy. I don't mind it.

"I feel OK. I was a little bit tired at half-time, both my hamstrings were a bit tired, so I just let the physio know as a precaution.

"I was all right to carry on, I think it was just to minimise the risk, you don't want anything to go wrong."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Assistant manager Shaun Maloney has been speaking to the media as Celtic prepare to host Celta Vigo in the Europa League on Thursday.

Here are the main points:

• Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are back in training after injury and will be in contention for Sunday's game at Hibs but not Thursday's Europa League match.

• Auston Trusty is also not available to face Celta following the death of his father.

• The 7-1 win over Hearts last weekend "massively helps" the players' confidence but Maloney doesn't regard it as a "seismic" result, saying that while it was an excellent performance Celtic still have "a fair bit to work on and continue to work on", especially off the ball.

• With no points from their opening two games, Thursday night is "close to" a must-win game for Celtic's hopes of Europa League progress and Maloney says: "We're really early into it, but our home form is probably going to dictate whether we go through or not."

• He adds: "I think if we can get a really committed team with and without the ball, then we can definitely win this game. If we don't, then Celta are a good side, they can definitely hurt you."

• Maloney says the balance of Celtic's midfield is "something we've been trying to figure out all season", adding: "At times we get it right, it looks really good, and then there's been certain matches away from home in Europe that it's looked harder."

• Thursday marks the first game of the Green Brigade's boycott, with Maloney saying it is a "tough time" and he hopes a resolution can be found. He references the unity at the club in the final weeks of last season: "Everyone was together. I think all of us, fans, staff, everyone, we're desperate to get that all the time. If we could get to that place again, then it would be amazing."

• On manager Martin O'Neill considering his future last month after Celtic's run of three defeats before the international break, Maloney says: "It was fine. Martin made a decision pretty quickly and started speaking about how he wanted to improve the side. It's our job to take his vision of how he sees the team and try and coach the team in that vision. Pretty quickly, you have to get on with that."

Cal Gilkison
BBC Sport Scotland

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For many Celtic fans, facing Celta Vigo on Thursday will spark fond memories.

The clubs have only met in one previous European tie - during Celtic's run to the 2003 Uefa Cup final.

Current boss Martin O'Neill was at the helm 24 years ago as Celtic earned a 1-0 first-leg lead at a raucous Parkhead thanks to a second-half goal from Henrik Larsson.

O'Neill's side then prevailed on a torrid night in Spain to edge through to the last 16 on away goals, with John Hartson's first-half strike proving crucial in a 2-1 away defeat.

The historic aggregate win was Celtic's first against Spanish opposition and ensured the club survived in European football beyond Christmas for the first time in 23 years.

Having already dispatched Blackburn Rovers, Celtic then saw off Stuttgart, Liverpool and Boavista to reach the final in Seville, where the memorable run ended in extra-time heartbreak against Porto.

Now, O'Neill would gladly take a 1-0 win on Thursday night as he awaits his side's first Europa League points.

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• Celtic have lost their past three European matches, conceding 3+ goals each time (12 in total). The Parkhead club have only lost four in a row within a single season once before, doing so in the 2017-18 Champions League.

• Celta Vigo have lost their past two away Europa League matches - they haven't lost three in a row in major European competition since losing four between March 2001 and October 2002 in the Uefa Cup.

• Including his time at Qarabag, Camilo Duran has been involved in seven goals in 12 major European competition appearances (6 goals, 1 assist), scoring Celtic's goal in their 4-1 defeat to Benfica. Duran has ended on the losing side in three of the past four major European games he's scored in.

• Celta Vigo have lost both of their previous away European matches in Scotland, losing 1-0 at Aberdeen in 1971 and Celtic in 2002.

• Celta Viga lost 2-1 to Juventus at home in their last Europa League match and are 29th in the table. Celtic, who are also on zero points from two games, occupy 34th place.

Celtic will consider letting midfielder Joel van den Berg head out on loan in January, with the 19-year-old yet to make his debut since joining from PSV Eindhoven this summer. (Football Insider, external)

Read Wednesday's gossip column in full.

Tino
Fan writer

There's something a wee bit different about Jota, Haissem Hassan and Camilo Duran.

They're three very different players, each with their own styles and strengths. But they share one quality Celtic have arguably lacked at crucial moments over the past year.

And that's the ability to make something happen when very little seems possible.

With all three now available to Martin O'Neill, Celtic's frontline suddenly looks far more dangerous, more unpredictable and definitely more entertaining.

Jota is the obvious starting point because we already know what he's capable of.

He can beat defenders, create chances, score goals and generally get supporters off their seats. Or in the case of Hearts defender Jordi Altena on Sunday, off their feet.

Jota's long-term injury deprived us of that quality last season, and while patience will still be required as he works towards full sharpness, he doesn't look a million miles away from that.

Even just having him back on the pitch these past couple of weeks has given everyone a lift.

Hassan brings something different. There's a directness and aggression to his game that's brilliant to watch. He attacks defenders relentlessly and at times simply ghosts past them like they aren't there.

His final ball needs a bit of work and improving on that will be important. But I'd far rather watch a winger continually ask questions of defenders than one content to play safe.

And then there's Duran, arguably the biggest maverick of the lot. There's a wonderful unpredictability about him. He drifts into unusual areas, attempts things other forwards might avoid and always looks capable of changing a game.

His beautifully clipped cross for Callum Osmand's second goal against Hearts, followed by his own instinctive first-time finish in the second half, are the latest reminders of that ability.

Of course, players like these often come with a trade-off. If you want creativity, spontaneity and moments of genuine brilliance then you have to accept that occasionally things won't work.

But that's part of the attraction.

None of this trio were available to Celtic last season, albeit for different reasons. Now Martin O'Neill has all three at his disposal - plus the likes of Osmand, Yang Hyun-jun, Kasper Hogh and Shim Mheuka.

Finding the right combinations, managing their minutes and maintaining consistency domestically and in Europe will be crucial.

And there's no guarantee everything will click immediately.

But after watching Celtic put seven past Hearts on Sunday, it's difficult not to get excited about the possibilities.

Football will always demand structure, discipline and organisation. And Celtic will need all of that as they navigate the challenges ahead.

But sometimes you also need somebody capable of doing something extraordinary, something special, when nobody sees it coming.

And Celtic now have three players who seem well capable of doing exactly that.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Former striker Louis Saha, who played under David Moyes at Everton, doubts whether Celtic would be able to lure away the Premier League boss in their hunt to land a successor to Martin O'Neill. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

Cal Gilkison
BBC Sport Scotland

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Former striker Cillian Sheridan says Celtic showed their "ruthless" side in incredible attacking display as they annihilated Hearts 7-1.

The Parkhead side looked back to their best after another chastening European defeat at Benfica on Thursday, sweeping aside last season's Premiership runners-up.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, Sheridan detailed how a two-minute spell won the game for Martin O'Neill's men on Sunday as they responded emphatically.

"Celtic were ruthless," the former forward said. "I did think before the game that Celtic would win. I didn't ever think it was going to be 7-1 or the manner that they won it in.

"One of the biggest things you could see was the value of set-pieces. Within two minutes, Celtic scored two set-pieces early on and then that was the game done.

"As soon as Celtic got up early it just allowed them to build on the momentum."

Celtic headed into the recent international break on a downer after three successive defeats, two of which came from rivals Rangers, but has their past two Premiership results - wins against Motherwell and Hearts - given some of the fans a renewed sense of optimism, despite a disappointing night on Thursday?

"I think it shows just how quickly momentum can change in not only football, but especially Scottish football," Sheridan added.

We asked for your views after Celtic smashed Hearts 7-1 in a statement Scottish Premiership victory.

Here's what some of you said:

Edward: This line-up should be the template for Martin going forward. With Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston at the back, replacing Dane Murray and Colby Donovan, this could be his best XI. There's depth of talent up front, and Ross Grant's set-piece coaching is starting to pay off. The Europa League tie this week will indicate how good we can be.

Patrick: About time this squad got a decent result. It's been far too long. Martin O'Neill is right: four points is nothing at this stage, but we must build momentum now and bank some more good performances.

Michael: Performance of the season so far. Relentless - we never stopped, with shades of Ange's teams. Finally, everything clicked. Callum Osmand brings something we don't have in the team: a relentless drive to create and go forward. Camilo Duran is in his best position, and if Haissem Hassan rediscovers his crossing ability, he will reach another level. Nothing won yet, and it was a poor Hearts showing, but we're going in the right direction. Well done, lads!

Dan: Ruthless. A much-needed statement win. After weeks of pretty grim performances, Celtic finally look like they've figured out this 'football' thing. One big win in isolation is great; however, we need to build on this from here. We have to take Celta Vigo seriously. Hopefully, we can carry on this form into next week's game against Hibs and go into it absolutely flying!

John: Reminiscent of Angeball. Attacking at pace instead of a painfully slow build-up, playing out from the back and allowing the opposition to press and defend. Hopefully, we can build some momentum both domestically and in Europe.

Alasdair: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference between the champions and the pretenders to the throne. Celtic have just sent out an ominous message.