Celtic had Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm sent off within five minutes of each other as they opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Feyenoord in Rotterdam.
Calvin Stengs gave Feyenoord the lead in first-half stoppage-time when his 30-yard free-kick evaded a poor attempt at a defensive wall.
Joe Hart saved a penalty after Lagerbielke received a second yellow card and substitute Holm soon got a straight red card in the 68th minute.
Defeat in Rotterdam.#FeyenoordCeltic | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/KlGSnhBub5
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 19, 2023
Alireza Jahanbakhsh got the home side’s second goal.
Centre-back Lagerbielke was one of two summer signings in the Celtic starting line-up with Nat Phillips ruled out by an ankle injury. The other, winger Luis Palma, made his first start for the club.
There was a lively atmosphere inside De Kuip for the first meeting between the teams since Feyenoord’s 1970 European Cup final triumph and the first Champions League game in the stadium for six seasons.
Celtic took the edge off the atmosphere with a positive start and Reo Hatate got the first shot on target after the Hoops won the ball high up the park, but his effort lacked power.
Celtic continued to look comfortable and could have made more of their possession had Hatate and Daizen Maeda been sharper on the ball at times.
The hosts rarely threatened to get in behind in the opening half hour and on the one occasion they did Alistair Johnston came across to cover.
Hatate’s pass got Matt O’Riley in behind but his ball towards Kyogo Furuhashi was cut out and Hart made his first save in the 34th minute when he pushed over Yankubah Minteh’s long-range strike.
Maeda broke away and saw a dangerous effort pushed wide despite being fouled in the act of shooting.
The Japan international was soon culpable for a counter-attack the other way after stopping in anticipation of a throw-in as Johnston kept the ball in, but Hart saved from Quiulindschy Hartman.
Celtic looked set to go into the dressing room deservedly level before O’Riley gave away a free-kick. Celtic’s wall failed to provide much protection especially as Furuhashi inadvertently got out of the way of the ball as he jumped. Stengs’ shot curled away from Hart with the goalkeeper unable to keep it out despite getting his hands on it.
Palma cut inside and saw his shot beaten away after the interval before Holm came on along with Yang Hyun-jun in the 58th minute.
Celtic were soon down to 10 men though. Lagerbielke had been booked in the first half for bringing down an opponent after his own poor control, and the Swede caught Igor Paixao in the throat with his arm as he tried to jockey the forward in the box.
Hart saved Paixao’s penalty as he dived to his right.
Brendan Rodgers brought on midfielder Tomoki Iwata for Furuhashi to play alongside Liam Scales in central defence.
Celtic’s task got even harder when Holm lunged in for a challenge and caught Mats Wieffer high up his shin. The visitors were rightly frustrated that Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto had failed to award a clear foul against Scales seconds earlier but there was little doubt about the red card decision that followed.
Stengs set up Lutsharel Geertruida to score from the resulting free-kick but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.
The extra men counted in the 76th minute though when Jahanbakhsh fired high into the net from 12 yards and the closing stages were about damage limitation for Celtic.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. RIPDiogo Jota , Andre Silva Rest in peace Diogo Jota1996-2025 Beautiful image It's been 11 years since the iconic "The Last Game" by Nike was released...Only the OGs remember this legendary animated ad film!One of the greatest ad films ever made!We're getting old... How to scout each team's players Brighton whenever Chelsea call USA VS. MEXICO IN THE GOLD...
Paul Pogba has said that he hopes to make a return to the French national team but added that there are "stages" to the process, as he was officially presented by AS Monaco on Thursday.The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder signed for the Ligue 1 club on a free transfer after serving an 18-month doping ban, after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels."It's the w...
WHAT HAPPENEDThere has been various levels of speculation in recent days about the possibility of Lionel Messi leaving MLS at the end of his contract, even though Inter Miami are confident that they will be able to extend his deal.Former MLS and USMNT star Herculez Gomez said, even if the odds are low against a departure, Messi leaving Miami would ring alarm bells for the league."House of cards cr...
Diogo Jota's body will return to Portugal ahead of the Liverpool player's funeral proceedings starting tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. The Portuguese international died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva while the pair were in Spain.The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the car they were travelling in said to have veered off the road and set on fire. Police ...
Newcastle on brink of £55m deal for Premier League starNewcastle United have stepped up their efforts to secure the services of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, lodging a substantial £55 million (€64m/$75m) offer for the 23-year-old.Ex-Arsenal star Ramsey signs for PumasAaron Ramsey, the former Arsenal midfielder, has joined Liga MX Side Pumas.Al-Nassr eye shock £73m s...
Barcelona 'pessimistic' about Nico Williams transferBarcelona are reportedly 'pessimistic' about being able to get the Nico Williams deal done after encountering several major financial difficulties.Barcelona have been pushing to sign the 22-year-old all summer but are now starting to realise the gravity of their financial situation.Athletic Club aren’t budging on their demand that the ̈́...
Arne Slot pens emotional message after Diogo Jota's tragic passingLiverpool manager Arne Slot has penned an emotional letter following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, passed away in a road accident on Thursday (July 3rd) in the province of Zamora, in north-west Spain.The footballing world is now grieving a player who had made a significant impact for clu...
Chelsea ace Noni Madueke 'open' to Arsenal switchChelsea winger Noni Madueke is reportedly 'open' to moving across London and joining Arsenal this summer as discussions over a potential deal continue.The 23-year-old enjoyed a decent 2024-25 season without pulling up any trees for Chelsea, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in his 41 games.Arsenal are understood to be discussing a potentia...
Inter Milan target in demand Palmeiras midfielderInter Milan are reportedly targeting a move for in demand Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios following a string of impressive performances at the FIFA Club World Cup.The 25-year-old has had a starring role for the Brazilian club as they reached the quarterfinals of the tournament with a game against Chelsea next.According to Calciomercato, Inter Mila...
FC Salzburg v Real Madrid CF: Group H - FIFA Club World Cup 2025Head coach Luis Enrique is pushing PSG to sign Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who has struggled for minutes under new manager Xabi Alonso.WHAT HAPPENED?Paris Saint-Germain are keen on adding one more dimension to their already phenomenal attack, with head coach Luis Enrique pushing the club to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid. The former Sa...
- 1 Liverpool willing to make swap proposal to Palace for Guehi
- 2 Raphinha happy to see Barcelona miss out on FIFA Club World Cup
- 3 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 4 Mystery blonde who had night out with Kieran Trippier
- 5 Inside jet-setting England star Dominic Solanke's honeymoon with wife Erica
- 6 Chelsea transfer at 'final stages'
- 7 Club World Cup 2025: Benfica v Chelsea predictions, best bets and odds
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Sporting CP president Varandas: Gyokeres knows price he can leave for
- 10 Frustrated Arsenal turn to Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ekitike