Midtjylland 3-1 Celtic: Early Collapse Costs O'Neill
Celtic continue to struggle near the bottom of the Europa League standings after losing 3-1 to Midtjylland, marking Martin O'Neill's first defeat since his return to the club. The game was decided by a dramatic collapse in the first half.
First-Half Goals Seal Midtjylland’s Win
Midtjylland scored three goals in just eight minutes late in the first half, maintaining their perfect record in the competition. Martin Erlic opened the scoring in the 33rd minute by heading in after a corner was recycled. Almost immediately, Mikel Gogorza doubled the lead, skillfully navigating between two defenders before curling a shot past Celtic’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Franculino completed the first-half scoring by lifting the ball into the top-left corner from a long throw-in, further punishing Celtic’s defensive lapses.
Key Moments and Near Misses
- Early efforts by Franculino, Kevin Mbabu, and Mads Bech almost put Midtjylland ahead.
- Cho Gue-Sung forced a strong save from Schmeichel before hitting the ball off teammate Anthony Ralston.
Second Half and Late Incident
Midtjylland controlled the second half more comfortably but faced a scare in the 78th minute when Martin Erlic fouled Europa League debutant Callum Osmand in the penalty box.
"Erlic rising highest to thump his header past Schmeichel." "Gogorza danced between two Celtic defenders as he cut inside from the left before bending a brilliant shot around Schmeichel." "Franculino lifted his strike over the crowd and into the top-left corner after a long throw."
Despite a strong start, Celtic were overwhelmed early on and couldn’t recover.
Author’s summary: Celtic’s first-half defensive errors allowed Midtjylland to dominate early and secure a 3-1 win, handing Martin O’Neill his first defeat since rejoining the club.