UEFA Europa League
Matchday three
Celtic Park
Thursday, November 5, 2020

CELTIC… 1
(Griffiths 65)

SPARTA PRAGUE… 4
(Julis 26, 45 & 77, Krejci 90)

It was a night of European disappointment for Celtic as they lost 4-1 to Sparta Prague on matchday three of the Europa League group stages.

The Hoops found themselves trailing by two goals at the break, and although substitute Leigh Griffiths reduced the deficit just after the hour mark, the Czech side soon restored their two-goal lead and then added a fourth in the 90th minute to ensure they headed home with all three points.

Celtic started the game on the front foot, and Ryan Christie combined well with Odsonne Edouard to carve open a chance after eight minutes, but the French striker was crowded out as he cut back on to his right foot.

Jeremie Frimpong’s pace was causing problems down the right flank, while Moi Elyounoussi had a shot on 15 minutes was took a deflection and went over the bar.

Sparta began to grow into the game and Celtic had Scott Bain to thank on 23 minutes when he blocked a shot from Moberg-Karlsson, and then tipped the Sparta player’s second effort on to the bar.

Two minutes later, the Celtic keeper again saved, this time from Lukas Julis. The resultant corner was headed on to the post, and when it fell to Julis, he fired it into the roof of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Celtic had a great chance to equalise on 37 minutes when Ryan Christie delivered a superb cross into the box from the inside right channel for Elyounoussi, but the Norwegian’s touch took the ball on to the bar.

Tom Rogic had a shot from eight yards out in the 44th minute that was saved at the near post by Florin Nita in the Sparta goal, and just 60 seconds later, the Czech side scored their second goal of the game. Once again, Moberg-Karlsson was involved, driving down the right. His cross into the box was touched on by Adam Karabec, and Julis cut on to his right foot and fired the ball beyond Bain.

Celtic started the second half intent on getting back into the game, but the first real chance didn’t come until just before the hour mark when Frimpong and Rogic combined well, with the young Dutch defender cutting on to his left foot and firing just past the post.

There was a scare for Celtic just minutes later when Stacek strode forward from the halfway line before firing a shot from the edge of the area that came back off Bain’s post.

Leigh Griffiths, on as a substitute, gave the Hoops some hope when he fired home a rebound on 65 minutes after Rogic’s initial shot was saved. But it proved to be a false dawn for Celtic as Sparta responded with two more goals.

First, Julis completed his hat-trick on 77 minutes, slotting the ball home from a couple of yard out following great work from Moberg-Karlsson. And in the 90th minute, Ladislav Krejci headed home at the back post from a Borek Dockal cross to complete the scoring for the Czech side.

CELTIC: Bain, Duffy, Bitton, Brown (Elhamed 60), Christie, Rogic, Edouard (Ajeti 80), Elyounoussi (Griffiths 60), Frimpong, McGregor, Laxalt (Ntcham 80).
Subs: Barkas, Hazard, Taylor, Klimala, Soro, Turnbull, Henderson, Welsh

SPARTA PRAGUE:
Nita, Vindheim, Pavelka, Plechaty, Hancko (Lischka 74), Sacek (Dockal), Krejci, Polidar (Krejci 80), Karabec (Travnik 74), Moberg-Karlsson (Plavsic), Julis.
Subs: Kotek, Celustka, Vitiz, Gabriel, Patrak

Celts lose out to Sparta on night of Europa League disappointment