adminCeltic supporters have endured a difficult four days, with the club suffering back-to-back defeats that have left frustration growing around Parkhead.
The nightmare began at Ibrox on September 13, when Rangers produced a commanding 3–0 victory over their fierce rivals in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final. Dan Neil opened the scoring before Kevin Kelsy doubled the advantage, while Neil completed his impressive individual display with a second goal in the closing stages.
With Celtic supporters absent from Ibrox, Rangers enjoyed a completely one-sided atmosphere as the home crowd celebrated a convincing Old Firm victory. The result also sent Derek McInnes’ side through to the League Cup semi-finals.
For Celtic, however, the defeat was not simply about losing a derby. Martin O’Neill’s team struggled to create clear opportunities and were unable to match Rangers’ intensity for long periods of the contest.
The expectation was that Celtic would respond quickly when they returned to action in Europe four days later.
Instead, another difficult night followed.
Celtic welcomed Ferencváros to Celtic Park on September 17, hoping to put the Ibrox disappointment behind them. But the Hungarian visitors stunned the home side with a 3–1 victory, leaving Celtic facing another damaging defeat in front of their own supporters.
Mika Baur briefly gave Celtic hope by bringing the score level, but Ferencváros regained the lead through Kristoffer Zachariassen before former Celtic player Daniel Arzani added another goal after the interval.
The reaction inside Celtic Park was noticeably different from what had been witnessed at Ibrox.
Rather than celebrations and chants, Celtic supporters expressed their frustration with loud boos as the final whistle approached. The reaction underlined the growing disappointment surrounding the team’s performances following the defeat to Rangers.
The timing has made the situation even more uncomfortable for O’Neill and his players.
Within the space of just four days, Celtic conceded six goals across two matches and suffered consecutive defeats. The first came against their biggest domestic rivals, while the second arrived at home in European competition.
The contrast between the two stadiums could hardly have been clearer.
At Ibrox, Rangers supporters watched their team dominate an Old Firm contest and celebrated three goals. At Celtic Park, the home crowd witnessed their side fall to another defeat and responded with frustration.
Celtic now have little time to dwell on either result.
The two Glasgow giants are scheduled to meet again in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, giving Celtic an immediate opportunity to respond to the 3–0 defeat at Ibrox. The fixture will again take place without visiting supporters in attendance.
For O’Neill and his players, the upcoming encounter therefore carries considerable significance. After two disappointing performances in quick succession, Celtic will be looking to produce a much stronger response when they face Rangers once again.
Four days have transformed the mood around the two clubs, with Rangers enjoying the momentum of a major derby victory while Celtic are searching for answers after another setback.
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