UEFA Europa League
Matchday Four
Letna Stadium, Prague
Thursday, November 26, 2020

SPARTA PRAGUE… 4
(Hancko 27, Julis 38 & 80, Plavsic 90+2)

CELTIC… 1
(Edouard 16)

Celtic suffered a second consecutive 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague as their Europa League aspirations were dealt a fatal blow in the Czech Republic.

Despite taking an early lead through Odsonne Edouard, the Hoops conceded two goals in the first half, and though they dominated much of the second 45 minutes, the home side scored two late goals to deliver a heavy defeat for Neil Lennon’s side.

Celtic started the game well and looked dangerous on the attack, with Hatem Elhamed delivering a ball into the box that the Sparta keeper did well to smother in the six-yard box.

Both sides had half-chances in the opening exchanges before Neil Lennon’s side took the lead on 16 minutes with a superb goal.

The move started on Celtic’s 18-yard line, with Callum McGregor’s header finding Mohamed Elyounoussi. The Norwegian internationalist surged forward, and threaded the ball through the inside left channel to Odsonne Edouard.The Frenchman twisted and turned inside the box before firing the ball home with his left foot.

The home side looked for a way back into the game and on 21 minutes Lukas Julis, Sparta’s hat-trick hero from the corresponding fixture at Celtic Park, curled in a shot from the edge of the box which Scott Bain did well to save.

However, six minutes later, the equaliser came after Celtic failed to clear a corner. The ball dropped to David Hancko, who fired the ball into the net from eight yards out.

Celtic had a chance to restore their lead on 34 minutes when Elhamed put another good cross into the Sparta box. The ball fell to Olivier Ntcham at the far post, but his left-foot shot went wide.

Just four minutes later, the Czech side took the lead. A cross from Borek Dockal on the right-hand edge of the box travelled across the box to the far post, where Julis was on hand to bundle the ball home from two yards out.

And it could have got even worse for the Hoops on the stroke of half-time when Ladislav Krekci hit the post with a header from six yards out.

Neil Lennon’s side came out for the second half determined to get back into the game, and Edouard was denied an equaliser when goalkeeper, Florin Nita, pushed away his free-kick with a save low at his right-hand post.

Olivier Ntcham was next to test the keeper with a shot from the edge of the box which was well held, and then Ryan Christie came close with a curling effort that went narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

Just after the hour mark, the Hoops created their best chance of the half, as Elyounoussi and Ntcham carved Sparta open, with the latter threading a ball across the six-yard box for Edouard, but the striker’s shot lacked the power to trouble the Sparta keeper.

With 10 minutes to go, the Czech side hit Celtic on the break to score their third goal of the net. Moberg-Karlsson surged down the left flank before crossing to the right-hand side, where Julis was on hand to volley home his second of the night from eight yards out.

And in added times, substitute Srdjan Plavsic latched on to a ball over the top from captain Borek Docka, rounded the goalkeeper and then surged into the box before slotting the ball into the net to make it 4-1.

SPARTA PRAGUE: Nita, Plechaty, Moberg-Karlsson, Pavelka, Dockal, Hanousek, Travnik, Vindheim, Hancko, L.Krejci, Julis.
Subs: Heca, Holec, Soucek, F.Krejci, Minchev, Lischka, Pavsic, Wiesner, Vitik, Gabriel, Gelashvii, Patrak.

CELTIC: Bain, Jullien, Brown (Rogic 66), Christie, Olivier Ntcham, Odsonne Edouard (Klimala 82), Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ajer, McGregor, Elhamed, Laxalt.
Subs: Barkas, Hazard, Taylor, Duffy, Bitton, Ajeti, Frimpong, Henderson

Celts suffer heavy defeat to Sparta Prague in Europa League