Celtic's pursuit of a rare Champions League away victory suffered a setback. They faced two red cards in a second-half unravelling, ultimately granting top-seeded Feyenoord an opening group stage triumph.
The evening commenced with high hopes, with Brendan Rodgers' squad showing early promise in their quest for their first away win in the competition since their victory over Anderlecht in 2017.
However, it concluded in disappointment with another painful European defeat, leaving them at the bottom of the group standings after Lazio and Atletico Madrid played a 1-1 draw in Rome.
Following a poised and composed first half, things worsened when a long-range Calvin Stengs free-kick breached the defensive wall and eluded Joe Hart. Both the goalkeeper and the defensive wall could have performed better, and Celtic struggled to regain their footing.
The goal bolstered the Dutch champions, who had been struggling until that point, and they capitalised on Celtic's unravelling performance in the second half. Gustaf Lagerbielke conceded a penalty for a tug in the box on Igor Paixao and received a second yellow card. However, Hart provided a glimmer of hope with an outstanding save from Paixao's spot-kick.
The challenge became insurmountable when substitute Odin Thiago Holm careened into a tackle, resulting in a straight red card. Alireza Jahanbakhsh then secured Feyenoord's victory after being granted ample time and space to finish emphatically.
The outcome was well-deserved for the Dutch side, with additional efforts ruled out on either side of the goal as Celtic narrowly held on. Ultimately, they escaped without a more significant loss.
Next up, Lazio visits Glasgow, presenting a formidable challenge that now appears even more daunting.
