2021-07-28 : FC Midtjylland 1-2 Celtic, European Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 20212022


Trivia

  • European Cup Champions League Second Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg
  • KO: 18:45
  • One each after 90 mins then 2-1 defeat after extra time. Aggregate 2-3 defeat.
  • Celtic out of the Champions league qualifiers etc, we’ve now to go thru a qualifier for Europa league group stage.
  • No away goals now it’s been scrapped from this season onwards.
  • Danish team is captained by ex-Celt Sivatchenko.
  • Ange Postecoglou when asked what exiting Champions League would mean for Celtic finances: “I’m not an accountant mate. I’m a football manager.”
  • Celtic could be handed a European lifeline after it emerged Midtjylland fielded a suspended player during the second leg of their Champions League qualifier. Defender Juninho was forced out of Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to PSV prior to the match after Fifa ruled the eight-match suspension he picked up in Brazil was still valid following his summer transfer to the Danish side. Post-note: Reprieve shot down; Uefa confirmed that FC Midtjylland did not field an ineligible player in last week’s second round qualifying match.
  • League Cup last 16 draw held: Celtic v Hearts in this round, tough start.
  • Glasgow public memorial to An Gorta Mor (Irish famine) unveiled.
  • Tokyo Olympics 2020:
    Olympics in Tokyo in its first week.
  • Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott followed up his individual Olympic silver by winning a gold medal as part of Britain’s men’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay team. Congratulations.
  • League Cup: Hearts have been docked two points (group stages) and fined £10,000 by the Scottish Professional Football League after fielding an ineligible player in their League Cup win over Cove Rangers.
  • Freedom of information response from Police Scotland. “No arrest for in terms of sectarian behaviour of rangers fans in George Square Glasgow 15th of May.” Absolutely unbelievable!!!!
  • Ally Dawson: Former Rangers and Scotland player dies aged 63
  • Transfer rumours: Celtic supposedly after a number of players, inc Joe Hart (England goalkeeper), Gianluca Lapadula, Ko Itakura.
  • Celtic midfielder Barry Coffey joins Cork City on loan
  • BBC: Professional footballers in England are to be limited to 10 “higher force headers” a week in training under new guidelines for the upcoming season. These are typically headers following a long pass (more than 35m) or from crosses, corners and free-kicks.
  • Hillsborough/Liverpool: Andrew Devine sadly passed away yesterday aged 55. Andrew survived Hillsborough but was left in a wheelchair having suffered a devastating brain injury. The coroner concluded he was unlawfully killed, brings total to 97 who died. #jft97 RIP YNWA

Covid

  • Wranglings over restricted crowd sizes.
  • UK has practically fully opened up.

Summary

“Obviously I haven’t done a good enough job convincing people we need to bring people in”
Ange Postecoglou takes responsibility for Celtic’s latest Champions League failure.

Twitter:
Thecelticwiki – The inaction of last season comes home to roost. This is a result of the board’s complacency and contempt. Lawwell’s legacy.Yet most of the architects of another embarrassing CL exit remain cosy in the Celtic boardroom.Invisible man McKay offering little hope to date.Midtjylland absolutely rotten. As bad as any team we’ve played in CL qualifiers. SPFL fodder. If they can beat us so can many we play domestically.

Joebloggscity – must mention that McGregor scored a brilliant goal again, Celtic actually were the better side in the 90 min but failing to get a second cost the club with a poor defence being a liability. Ralston played a great game but he’s not convincing everyone for the long haul.

Celt by numbers – Absolute murder. We all knew things were shambolic but to see it laid bare like that. Forrest, just back from injury, the only player on a bench of 8 outfield players reasonably trusted.Back 5 not fit for purpose despite decent efforts. Edouard, Turnbull, Christie… Torture.

Chris Sutton – No surprise Celtic going out. Ange Postecoglou has been dealt the worst hand of any Celtic manager in the last 20 years. The powers that be should be ashamed of dealing him this hand. Years of acting too slow and bringing in players too late but this season is something else.

Chris McGuigan – We have been in front in this tie on two occasions yet here we are again

Bobby Peru – Nobody I know actually expected us to get to the CL this season and as soon as we were looking at PSV we knew the game was up but to lose to such a mediocre side is galling. And all on the board. Years of arrogance and feathering the nest coming home to roost.Assuming even a way above average success rate with new signings we are looking at at least 3 transfer windows to get anywhere near the level we need to be at. The only hope until then is that enough of the new signings hit the ground running and we can get some momentum going

HP – Tonight was on the board.Too slow to remove Lennon.No deadline set for a decision on Howe.Dithering on transfers in , but not out.A manager brought in too late to impact on a squad light on numbers and quality .This was a car crash everyone could see coming except them.

Celtic overalls – Let’s face it with the defence we had for this tie we all knew (Ange included ) it was going to get worse before it got better. 2005 all over again.  We are starting from scratch. We need a few quick wins to give the manager a fighting chance and something to build on.

Etims – I know we need a new quality RB among many other positions but I thought Tony Ralston had a really good game last night. The lad takes some stick but his bravery/commitment (blocked two possible goals) & all round play was really good. Fair play to the Bhoy.


Teams

Celtic:

Formation 4-3-3

  • 29Bain
  • 56Ralston
  • 57WelshBooked at 21mins
  • 47Murray
  • 3Taylor Substituted forMontgomeryat 105′minutes
  • 14Turnbull Substituted forAjetiat 105′minutesBooked at 108mins
  • 12SoroBooked at 76mins
  • Substituted forRogicat 98′minutes
  • 42McGregor
  • 11Abada Substituted forForrestat 59′minutes
  • 22EdouardBooked at 93mins
  • 17Christie

Substitutes

  • 1Barkas
  • 10Ajeti
  • 18Rogic
  • 23Bolingoli-Mbombo
  • 26Urhoghide
  • 30Shaw
  • 41Robertson
  • 45Doohan
  • 49Forrest
  • 54Montgomery

Goals: McGregor (48′ minutes)
Assists:

FC Midtjylland

Formation 3-4-3

  • 1Lössl
  • 14Dalsgaard
  • 28Sviatchenko
  • 73Ferreira Júnior Substituted forNicolaisenat 112′minutes
  • 6Andersson Substituted forCoolsat 105′minutes
  • 35Rigon Matos Substituted forOnyedikaat 59′minutes
  • 10da Silva FerreiraBooked at 53mins
  • 29da Silva Substituted forDyhrat 89′minutes
  • 11Mabil Substituted forLindat 89′minutes
  • 74dos Santos JúniorBooked at 69mins Substituted forHansenat 77′minutes
  • 7SistoBooked at 115mins

Substitutes

  • 2Cools
  • 5Høegh
  • 16Ólafsson
  • 20Nicolaisen
  • 30Thompson
  • 37Onyedika
  • 43Madsen
  • 44Dyhr
  • 48Hansen
  • 53Lind
  • 54Fraulo
  • 58Simsir

Goals:

  • Mabil (61′ minutes)
  • Onyedika (94′ minutes)

Assists:

  • Sisto (61′ minutes)
  • Dalsgaard (94′ minutes)

Ref:Bartosz Frankowski
Att: restricted numbers


Articles

  • Match Report (see below)

Pictures


Stats

FC Midtjylland
Celtic
Possession
Home37%
Away63%
Shots
Home12
Away5
Shots on Target
Home4
Away2
Corners
Home7
Away5
Fouls
Home16
Away18

Match Links


Articles

BBC

By Thomas DuncanBBC Scotland

.

Beleaguered Celtic’s Champions League hopes ended in the second qualifying round for the second consecutive year as a callow side were undone in extra time by Denmark’s Midtjylland.

Raphael Onyedika side-footed home the crucial blow three minutes into the added period after Callum McGregor’s stunning volley had put Celtic in front for the second time in the tie.

But defensive frailties cost them again as Awer Mabil levelled before Onyedika pounced to leave Celtic floored and bound for the Europa League.

They will face Czech side FK Jablonec in the third qualifying round next week, while Midtjylland go on to face PSV Eindhoven in European football’s premier competition.

The result emphasises the scale of the task facing Ange Postecoglou as he attempts to rebuild a lightweight squad.

Celtic’s pre-season has been dominated by talk from fans, pundits, and Postecoglou himself, about the lack of signings, with quarantine also denying them the services of recruits Carl Starfelt and Kyogo Furuhashi.

The fact they lined up with a defence with an average age of 21 told its own story, and the manager said it best this week when he referred to the team “flying by the seat of its pants”.

But as in Glasgow last week they looked the more assured side in the first half, and McGregor provided the spark his team were searching for just two minutes into the second period as he took the ball on his chest before hooking it into the top right-hand corner.

The goal oozed class and gave Celtic the platform to kick on, and substitute James Forrest came so close to bolstering their advantage on the hour mark as he slid the ball wide after a good run.

And, just as in the first leg when Edouard passed up a one-on-one, they were punished for their profligacy. Midtjylland had not registered a shot by this point, but within two minutes of Forrest’s effort, Mabil levelled.

The Australia international ghosted between Dane Murray and Greg Taylor to nod home a floated cross, emphasising the inexperience of the Celtic backline and the general anxiety which has surrounded the team in the last 12 months.

That only swelled from that moment on as the Danish side – roared on by about 6,000 of their fans – grew in confidence, and Victor Lind missed a golden chance to win the tie in stoppage time as he evaded 18-year-old Murray.

But Celtic were made to pay soon after as Evander floated in another delivery, which Henrik Dalsgaard steered into Onyedika’s path, and the Nigerian had time to take a touch and dispatch from six yards out.

Man of the match – Evander

The Midtjylland number 10 was a danger with his quality delivery

What did we learn?

Celtic are as far away from being a Champions League group-stage club as they have been in a long time. Despite their decade of dominance in Scotland, they have drifted further from Europe’s elite with every passing season.

It is fair to analyse the performance on the pitch, but only in the inescapable context of the squad Postecoglou has to work with.

To begin a Champions League qualifying campaign with a centre-back pairing aged 18 and 21, no clear first-choice full-backs or goalkeeper, and a striker in Edouard who clearly sees his future elsewhere is scarcely believable in the eyes of most Celtic fans. And that isn’t even the full extent of their problems.

The club has no head of recruitment, no sporting director and are attempting their largest rebuild in two decades. Postecoglou says he walked into this job with his eyes wide open, and he will largely receive a pass in the circumstances, but with each passing game the scale of the challenge grows.

Across both legs there were signs of his high pressing, vertical style, but the Australian needs both time and signings to have any hope of success in the short to medium term. It’s sure to be a bumpy ride.

What they said

‘Catastrophic to me, means the end. This is far from the end’

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: “We just got tired in the end. They scored and got through it. I thought my players gave their maximum. It’s the beginning of what we’re trying to embark on. We controlled the game until they scored.”

  • Match ends, FC Midtjylland 2, Celtic 1.

  • Post update

    Second Half Extra Time ends, FC Midtjylland 2, Celtic 1.

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Adam Montgomery.

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Callum McGregor.

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Scott Bain.

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    Attempt saved. Victor Lind (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Evander.

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    Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).

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    Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

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    Attempt missed. Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Adam Montgomery.

  • Booking

    Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

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    Albian Ajeti (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Foul by Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland).

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Rasmus Nicolaisen replaces Juninho.

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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    Foul by Dion Cools (FC Midtjylland).

  • Booking

    Albian Ajeti (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Foul by Albian Ajeti (Celtic).

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    Nikolas Dyhr (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Foul by Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland).

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Dane Murray.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. Albian Ajeti replaces David Turnbull.

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    Second Half Extra Time begins FC Midtjylland 2, Celtic 1.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. Adam Montgomery replaces Greg Taylor.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Dion Cools replaces Joel Andersson.

  • Post update

    First Half Extra Time ends, FC Midtjylland 2, Celtic 1.

  • Post update

    Attempt saved. Mads Hansen (FC Midtjylland) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Victor Lind.

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    Foul by David Turnbull (Celtic).

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    Evander (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

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    Tomas Rogic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Raphael Onyedika (FC Midtjylland).

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Foul by Evander (FC Midtjylland).

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    Offside, Celtic. Greg Taylor tries a through ball, but Ryan Christie is caught offside.

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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    Foul by Joel Andersson (FC Midtjylland).

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    David Turnbull (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Raphael Onyedika (FC Midtjylland).

  • Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. Tomas Rogic replaces Ismaila Soro.

  • Post update

    Attempt missed. Victor Lind (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Mads Hansen.

  • Goal!

    Goal! FC Midtjylland 2, Celtic 1. Raphael Onyedika (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Henrik Dalsgaard following a set piece situation.

  • Post update

    Attempt blocked. Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  • Booking

    Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Foul by Odsonne Edouard (Celtic).

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    Raphael Onyedika (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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    First Half Extra Time begins FC Midtjylland 1, Celtic 1.

  • Full Time

    Second Half ends, FC Midtjylland 1, Celtic 1.

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    Attempt missed. Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Nikolas Dyhr.

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    Attempt missed. Victor Lind (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Evander with a cross.

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    Attempt blocked. Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Evander.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Victor Lind replaces Awer Mabil.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Nikolas Dyhr replaces Paulinho.

  • Post update

    Dane Murray (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Foul by Mads Hansen (FC Midtjylland).

  • Post update

    Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).

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    Henrik Dalsgaard (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ryan Christie with a through ball.

  • Post update

    Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).

Post update

Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Attempt blocked. Paulinho (FC Midtjylland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

  • Post update

    Attempt blocked. Awer Mabil (FC Midtjylland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Juninho with a headed pass.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Mads Hansen replaces Júnior Brumado.

  • Booking

    Ismaila Soro (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Foul by Ismaila Soro (Celtic).

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    Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  • Booking

    Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Stephen Welsh (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland).

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    Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland).

  • Goal!

    Goal! FC Midtjylland 1, Celtic 1. Awer Mabil (FC Midtjylland) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pione Sisto.

  • Post update

    Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. James Forrest replaces Liel Abada.

  • Substitution

    Substitution, FC Midtjylland. Raphael Onyedika replaces Charles.

  • Post update

    Foul by Odsonne Edouard (Celtic).

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    Henrik Dalsgaard (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Booking

    Evander (FC Midtjylland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Evander.

Post update

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Paulinho.

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    Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

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    Foul by Juninho (FC Midtjylland).

  • Goal!

    Goal! FC Midtjylland 0, Celtic 1. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner following a corner.

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    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Erik Sviatchenko.

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    Foul by Odsonne Edouard (Celtic).

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    Henrik Dalsgaard (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  • Second Half

    Second Half begins FC Midtjylland 0, Celtic 0.

  • Half Time

    First Half ends, FC Midtjylland 0, Celtic 0.

  • Post update

    Offside, Celtic. David Turnbull tries a through ball, but Odsonne Edouard is caught offside.

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    Ismaila Soro (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

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    Foul by Evander (FC Midtjylland).

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    Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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    Foul by Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland).

  • Post update

    Foul by Anthony Ralston (Celtic).

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    Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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    Foul by Ismaila Soro (Celtic).

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    Evander (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

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    Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Post update

Foul by Odsonne Edouard (Celtic).

  • Post update

    Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Juninho (FC Midtjylland).

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    Foul by Ismaila Soro (Celtic).

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    Evander (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Paulinho.

  • Booking

    Stephen Welsh (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Post update

    Foul by Stephen Welsh (Celtic).

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    Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Paulinho (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Liel Abada (Celtic).

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    Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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    Foul by Erik Sviatchenko (FC Midtjylland).

  • Post update

    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Odsonne Edouard.

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    Corner, FC Midtjylland. Conceded by Stephen Welsh.

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    Foul by Ismaila Soro (Celtic).

  • Post update

    Evander (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Offside, FC Midtjylland. Henrik Dalsgaard tries a through ball, but Charles is caught offside.

  • Post update

    Attempt missed. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by David Turnbull with a cross following a corner.

Post update

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jonas Lössl.

  • Post update

    Attempt saved. David Turnbull (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ryan Christie.

  • Post update

    Greg Taylor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Foul by Júnior Brumado (FC Midtjylland).

  • Post update

    Foul by Anthony Ralston (Celtic).

  • Post update

    Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Post update

    Offside, FC Midtjylland. Henrik Dalsgaard tries a through ball, but Awer Mabil is caught offside.

  • Kick Off

    First Half begins.

Post update

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Worst possible Celtic beginning for Ange Postecoglou – how they crashed out of the Champions League to Midtjylland

Celtic’s fatal weakness was supposed to be about their starting power in Midtjylland. Instead, their 2-1 extra-time exit from the second qualifying round of the Champions League away to FC Midtjylland was all about their staying power.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/worst-possible-celtic-beginning-for-ange-postecoglou-how-they-crashed-out-of-the-champions-league-to-midtjylland-3327167

Midtjylland’s Australian midfielder Awer Mabil celebrates scoring against Celtic.

With that deserting them, the worst possible beginning for new manager Ange Postecoglou’s tenure has come to pass. Even if recriminations for that will be hurled the way of the Celtic board, not their Greek-Australian manager.

As with the first leg that ended 1-1, Celtic had a lead, had the tie firmly in their grip, had their chances. And they squandered all of these advantages. A superb strike from Callum McGregor in the 48th minute should have given way to James Forrest, introduced second earlier, making it 2-0 just after the hour. A weaving run that took him past opponents as if they were cones on the training pitch left the goal utterly at his mercy. When he inexplicably knocked the ball passed from eight yards, it was as if the direction of travel for Champions League hopes veered away too – for a fourth consecutive season.

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Within seconds, Awer Mabil – oh the irony of his being an Australian international known so well to former Socceroos coach Postecoglou – had produced an equaliser through escaping into space in the box to tuck away a downward header from a chipped ball into the area.

As a refreshed Midtjylland grew in stature, their visitors visibly wilted, save for Forrest twice having openings. Ultimately, the wonder was that Midtjylland required the added 30 minutes to seal their progress. They only needed the fourth minute of that, with substitute Raphael Onyedika ramming in from close in, after Celtic were sliced apart by a move that led to the ball being played out to the right then drilled across to the scorer.

The Europa League third qualifying round to Czechs Jablonec awaits next week. But the laying waste to the club from a support in permanently insurrectionist mode, following a year of disasters and missteps that have regressed them two decades inside 12 months, will make the coming days for the targets of verbal beatings on an extreme scale seem like millennium.

The goalkeeping position will be one area where the punches fly. The lines Postecoglou allowed to be read between about the possibility he could replace Vasilis Barkas with Scott Bain for the Danish denouement mean the Scotland international’s name appearing on the team sheet was far from a gasp-inducing moment.

The permanently-drooped shoulders of the luckless, and seemingly confidence-bereft Greek, must have come close to collapsing when the news that was relayed to him. It is difficult to see how Barkas can possibly now resuscitate a Celtic career that seems to have been on life support from within the early weeks of his arrival from AEK Athens in a £4.5m deal almost a year ago. There are reports of a revived interest in Joe Hart, who was linked with the club before Barkas was bought on board.

Yet, even allowing for the fact it was a Barkas error that cost the equaliser in the 1-1 first leg draw, concerns over Celtic’s defence extended way beyond who was given the gloves. Few believed that the centre-back pairing of 18-year-old Dane Murray, in his first competitive start, and 21-year-old Stephen Welsh could stand up to the examination the Champions League second leg presented. Not least because of the little regard for full-backs Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor.

The edginess that developed across a stuffy first 45 minutes wasn’t caused by how Celtic performed in and around their own penalty area, though. The unfamiliar and unfancied young quartet handled the press of an athletic, but far from aesthetic, home side. They did so with the risky Postecoglou strategy that will be their default of the ball pinging around their own box – it was passed out from Bain, back to him again, and even across the face of their goal – to build the play. It was high wire stuff, but they never lost their footing.

It was the little surety in forward areas that prevented Celtic trumping the graft of Midtjylland with their greater graft. A couple of half chances across the opening period – Odsonne Edouard sending a flashing drive over in the early minutes, the most notable – told of the inability to engage Ryan Christie and Liel Abada in dangerous areas.

The complexion appeared to change completely when McGregor fashioned magnificence in collecting Paulinho’s headed clearance from a Celtic corner three minutes into the second period. In one seamless move, he chested the ball down and made the sweetest contact to send a dipping volley into the top corner.

The Parkhead men should have pressed home their advantage but a trio of key moments around the hour-mark put the tie firmly back in the balance. Firstly, Bain was sloppy when Onyedika slid a ball along the face of goal, the keeper let it slip beyond him as he appeared to dive over it. A minute later came Forrest’s failure in front of goal. Mabil’s score felt like the coup de grace… even before that duly administered.

What Celtic never do these days is surprise with their ability to take a situation and rinse from it any possible good, any possible outcome to allow for them to exhale deeply. Whatever public face he affects, Postecoglou should already be breathing a little heavier before his team’s league opener away to Hearts on Saturday, for what Celtic have demonstrated in the past year is that things can always get worse.


Celtic Champions League reprieve shot down as Uefa rule on FC Midtjylland player eligibility
There will be no Champions League reprieve for Celtic after Uefa confirmed that FC Midtjylland did not field an ineligible player in last week’s second round qualifying match.
By Matthew Elder
Wednesday, 4th August 2021, 6:58 pm

2021-07-28 : FC Midtjylland 1-2 Celtic, European Cup


Defender Juninho was forced out of Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to PSV prior to the match after Fifa ruled the eight-match suspension he picked up in Brazil was still valid following his summer transfer to the Danish side.

The 26-year-old received the ban over his part in a brawl between Bahia and Ceará which saw six players punished with a total of 54 matches.
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He served two of those in Brazil before his move to Midtjylland from his parent club Palmeiras. He then featured at centre-back in the 2-1 second-leg victory over Celtic. Juninho also squared off against Viborg in the Danish top flight.

Midtjylland were told to sit the player prior to their trip to Rotterdam on Tuesday, prompting questions over whether they could be forced to forfeit the tie for fielding an ineligible player in a similar scenario that saw Celtic reinstated into European competition following defeats to Sion in 2011 and Legia Warsaw in 2014.

However, Uefa have confirmed that Juninho’s ban applies from August 2 onwards, meaning the Danes did not breach any rules by playing him against Celtic last week.

A Uefa spokesperson told the Scottish Sun: “With regard to your inquiry, we would, first of all, like to inform you that in accordance with Article 66 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (2019 edition), any decision related to the extension of sanctions to have worldwide effect falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent Fifa disciplinary bodies.

“We can confirm that Uefa was made aware by Fifa on 2 August of its decision taken on the same day regarding this case, i.e. after the Uefa Champions League second qualifying round tie between FC Midtjylland and Celtic FC.”

Midtjylland sporting director Svend Graversen also insisted his club did nothing wrong.

He said: “Of course he was eligible.

“It has been confirmed that it will apply from now on and for the next six matches.

“We have known about it. This is not a surprise to us.

“We are sorry about the outcome and that it comes at this time. We have to look into that and see if we can appeal this decision.”