It is just as well Martin O’Neill wanted no celebration of his 1,000th game in professional management. Stuttgart’s visit became men versus Bhoys and a deflating scene for anybody of Celtic persuasion.
This messiest of Celtic seasons, featuring umpteen managers and a similar number of low points has now featured supporters booing their own goalkeeper. Fans decided Kasper Schmeichel’s failure to keep out Jamie Leweling’s 57th-minute shot was a blunder too far. Schmeichel’s subsequent touches were jeered, albeit there was nothing he could do about the goal from Tiago Tomás in stoppage time that added gloss to Stuttgart’s position. The second leg feels like a fixture O’Neill could very much do without, coming days before a crucial visit to Ibrox.
“It is going to be very, very difficult obviously,” said O’Neill. “In time, Celtic will be able to compete deep into European competitions. It is just not there at this minute. This was a disappointing night for us.”
O’Neill claimed he was unaware of Schmeichel’s treatment from the stands. “This is a team game and we all have to deal with it,” said the manager.
The evening had opened in unedifying style for Celtic. It was barely to improve. Only seconds after kick-off, supporters threw tennis balls on the pitch as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the club’s board of directors. “Anybody who thinks that was a good idea needs their head examining,” said O’Neill. “It helps no one.” The protest felt half-hearted yet Uefa are likely to take a dim view of a delay in play that lasted for three minutes. One of umpteen fascinating aspects of this strangest of Celtic campaigns involves the split between supporter base and boardroom. This is a fractured club, held together where it possibly can be by a 73-year-old manager.
O’Neill had done nothing to sugarcoat the scale of Celtic’s task, branding the Stuttgart games the toughest of the season for his team. This was hardly a bold call; the fourth-placed side in the Bundesliga were facing one who squeezed past Dundee, Livingston and Kilmarnock in recent matches. Should they be sufficiently motivated, Stuttgart should rank among the Europa League favourites.
With this in mind, the Germans barely needed the favours provided by Schmeichel. Celtic’s goalkeeping position has been a problem for months, with Schmeichel’s regular gaffes emphasising why he should have been replaced last summer. In the Dane’s first ragged episode of the evening, he floated a kick into Stuttgart possession before diving over what was a tame shot from Bilal El Khannouss. Deniz Undav is due credit for a cute flick into El Khannouss’ path but the goal was the doing of Schmeichel. O’Neill has a serious call to make over whether to retain faith in his custodian. This feels a miserable way for the 39-year-old’s career to wind down.
Stuttgart decided to get in on the act of defensive generosity as the hosts equalised. Dangerous play between the goalkeeper Alexander Nubel and Atakan Karazor resulted in the latter taking a poor touch on his 18-yard line. Benjamin Nygren stole in, rounding Nubel before slotting home. Parity was the least Celtic deserved for their play in the game’s opening quarter.
Nygren’s intervention stung Stuttgart into action. El Khannouss was the scorer as the visitors edged in front for a second time. Celtic were again slack by leaving the forward in splendid isolation as he headed Angelo Stiller’s deflected cross. Schmeichel was beaten at his near post. Stuttgart finished the first period firmly in the ascendancy without troubling Schmeichel.
Celtic had shown elements of second half promise prior to the goal which surely settled the tie in Stuttgart’s favour. Schmeichel was again culpable, having misread a 20-yard shot from Leweling which was fierce but not particularly well placed. The anger of the Celtic support towards Schmeichel was now apparent. Stuttgart were only denied a rapid fourth by the interventions of the video assistant referee due to offside in the buildup to the excellent Ermedin Demirovic flicking over the advancing Schmeichel.
Nubel saved excellently from Nygren as Celtic sought to claw their way back into proceedings. To their credit, in the face of such superior opposition, Celtic were refusing to wilt. The problem was, hope filled the air when Celtic attacked versus expectancy when Stuttgart did likewise.
Tomás had already come close by the time he capitalised on more Celtic chaos to notch number four. Celtic have never won a competitive game in Germany. “We won’t make the mistake of thinking we are through,” said Stuttgart’s head coach, Sebastian Hoeness. Game number 1,002 could be grisly for O’Neill.