Celtic kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a defeat in Rotterdam. Despite a positive first half, Brendan Rodgers’ team were beaten 2-0 with goals either side of the half from Calvin Stengs and Alireza Jahanbaks. Furthermore, Celtic finished the game with nine men after Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm were sent off.
Celtic were decent enough value in the first half and they made a couple of chances that more could’ve been made of.
On the stroke of half time, Stengs’ free-kick managed to squirm through the wall and bounce awkwardly before Joe Hart putting the hosts in the lead. The Englishman was furious with his wall and both Kyogo and Celtic’s No.1 will see their part in conceding the first goal.
Then, in the second half, Feyenoord were given a penalty which resulted in Gustaf Lagerbielke being shown a second yellow and dismissed. Contact was minimal but the decision stood. Hart atoned for any part he played in conceding the earlier goal by saving the penalty from Paixão.
Lagerbielke’s second yellow card was particularly harsh. The attacker bought the foul from the officials and given the contact, there was no way that VAR would overturn it. The Swedish defender will now miss the next game. Minutes later, Holm joined his teammate in the changing rooms after he was adjudged to have committed serious foul play. It was probably a yellow card but once it was given, it wasn’t enough to overturn the decision. From the resulting free-kick Feyenoord scored through Geertruida but it was correctly ruled out by VAR.
Now with nine men, Celtic dug-in as best they could in the face of attacking from the hosts. A cross was steered back into the box by Alistair Johnston before Iranian forward Jahanbakhsh made it 2-0. Thereafter it was damage limitation for Celtic, who survived a third in injury time that was ruled out by VAR.
Lagerbielke’s second yellow card was particularly harsh. The attacker bought the foul from the officials and given the contact, there was no way that VAR would overturn it. The Swedish defender will now miss the next game. Minutes later, Holm joined his teammate in the changing rooms after he was adjudged to have committed serious foul play. It was probably a yellow card but once it was given, it wasn’t enough to overturn the decision.
Lazio’s late goal in Rome against Atletico Madrid leaves Feyenoord top after tonight with the other two teams sitting on one point apiece.