Celtic’s Europa League ambitions suffered a significant blow Thursday night, falling 4-1 to Stuttgart in the first leg of their knockout play-off. The defeat was compounded by a fractious atmosphere at Celtic Park, marked by fan protests and audible dissent directed at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The match began in chaos as supporters threw miniature balls onto the pitch in protest against the club’s board, halting play for several minutes. While the disruption drew the ire of manager Martin O’Neill, the on-field performance quickly became the primary source of frustration. Stuttgart took the lead through Bilal El Khannouss, a goal Schmeichel was slow to react to. Jamie Leweling then extended the visitors’ advantage with a low drive that Schmeichel struggled to keep out, bringing the score to 3-1.
The Denmark international faced sustained jeers from a section of the Celtic faithful with every touch, even drawing sarcastic applause when he made a save from Tiago Tomás. O’Neill, while acknowledging his team’s defensive shortcomings – admitting they conceded “really poor goals” – staunchly defended Schmeichel after the match.
“We played Feyenoord in a game that we probably had to win, and I think it was 1-1 at the time, and he made an unbelievable save. Without that, we probably wouldn’t be here,” O’Neill said, referencing a crucial save earlier in the European campaign. “This is a team game and we all have to deal with it.”
When pressed on whether he would consider giving Viljami Sinisalo an opportunity in goal, O’Neill remained noncommittal. “You’re asking me a question here on Thursday night. Who knows what might happen at the end of it all?” he responded. He reiterated his faith in the veteran goalkeeper, stating, “All I will say is Kasper Schmeichel has played so many games, he’s had some dips in his time, and he’s come right back. Kasper Schmeichel has done exceptionally well for me in my time here.”
However, O’Neill was far less forgiving of the fan protest, labeling those responsible as needing their “heads examining.” He drew a stark contrast to the intimidating atmosphere Celtic Park once routinely generated, recalling a time when opponents like Juventus “were scared stiff coming. Scared stiff.” He lamented the disruption caused by the protest, suggesting it may have inadvertently eased the pressure on the visiting Stuttgart players. “Can you imagine being a Stuttgart player now and you’re worried about the crowd?” he asked. “The atmosphere to begin with was fantastic. And then suddenly that happens…if I’m a Stuttgart player, I’m thinking ‘I don’t feel too bad here.’”
Benjamin Nygren briefly leveled the score for Celtic, but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished by a late goal from Tiago Tomás, making the return leg in Germany an uphill battle. The defeat comes at a challenging time for O’Neill’s side, with two crucial derby matches against Rangers looming on the domestic calendar.
Despite the looming second leg, O’Neill insisted his immediate focus is on Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Hibernian. “They are not going to postpone it,” he said of the return fixture in Stuttgart. “Our focus is Sunday now. Sunday is most important for us.”
The loss to Stuttgart underscores the challenges Celtic face in consistently competing at the highest European level. O’Neill hinted at the need for structural changes, suggesting that a move for Scottish clubs into the English Premier League could alleviate some of the competitive disadvantages. “Eventually, if the SPL [Scottish Premiership] belonged to the Premier League, I don’t think we’d have a problem,” he stated.
For now, however, the immediate priority is to address the defensive frailties exposed by Stuttgart and navigate a demanding run of domestic fixtures. The Schmeichel situation remains a delicate one, with O’Neill balancing the need to support his player against the growing discontent of the Celtic supporters. The second leg in Germany will be a test of Celtic’s resilience, but the issues exposed on Thursday night extend far beyond the pitch.
