Report as Odsonne Edouard nets before late Celtic collapse
Friday 28 February 2020 15:44, UK
FC Copenhagen took advantage of some dreadful Celtic defensive mistakes to earn a shock 3-1 win at Celtic Park and send the Scottish champions crashing out of the Europa League 4-2 on aggregate.
Tom Rogic hit the post as Celtic had much of the better of the first half, but Copenhagen took the lead after 51 minutes when Michael Santos capitalised on an error from Jozo Simunovic.
Odsonne Edouard's penalty levelled the scores with nine minutes left, after referee Artur Dias awarded the first-ever decision via VAR in Scotland following Ragnar Sigurdsson's handball.
It seemed the tie was set for extra-time, but more poor defending allowed Pep Biel and Dame N'Doye to score twice in the final minutes to send Celtic out at the last-32 stage for the third season in a row.
Rangers will now be the sole Scottish representatives in Friday's last-16 draw, but after topping their qualifying group for the first time and beating Lazio home and away, this was an uncharacteristically meek performance from Celtic.
Without the suspended Ryan Christie and injured Olivier Ntcham, Neil Lennon's side at times lacked guile and composure, with Edouard unusually off-colour. Defensively, at times they were shambolic as passes went astray in the face of Copenhagen's high press, with Simunovic, in particular, displaying nerves which often rippled fear into the stands during the second half.
The first leg had been a strange affair, with Celtic utterly dominant early on before Copenhagen hit back in the second half. The Danish momentum appeared to have flown with them over the North Sea as they began brightly, swiftly closing down the home side's attempts to settle into proceedings.
Yet it was Celtic who had two glorious opportunities to take the lead inside the first 20 minutes. James Forrest failed to connect with Mohamed Elyounoussi's cross to the back post when it looked easier to score; then Elyounoussi, on only his second start since the League Cup final, blazed over from 15 yards after a poor clearance fell at his feet.
Rogic went even closer after half an hour, as Karl-Johan Johnsson tipped his header onto the post and behind. Copenhagen then had a chance of their own as the unmarked N'Doye somehow failed to connect with a corner, when a touch would have found Fraser Forster's net.
Both teams were speedy on the break, but Johnsson was the busier goalkeeper, touching Edouard's shot away for a corner. The Swedish 'keeper then nearly gifted Celtic a goal, spilling as he tried to gather Edouard's volley; Forrest kept the ball alive, but nobody was alert to put it into the empty net. Edouard headed straight at Johnsson on the whistle, as Celtic finished the half strongly, but one could sense the tie's knife-edge status.
The ball was in Copenhagen's net four minutes after the restart, but Callum McGregor's neat finish was ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper. As Celtic Park growled in frustration, the visitors pounced, thanks largely to a defensive howler from Simunovic. His attempted pass-back was woefully short, allowing Santos to cross, and when Christopher Jullien slipped as he attempted to clear, Santos swept the loose ball past Forster.
Celtic now needed to score to force extra-time, but the goal had given Copenhagen confidence, while Simunovic looked panic-stricken any time the ball came in his direction. Celtic were struggling to get up the pitch and suddenly looked bereft of ideas, prompting Lennon to switch to a back three with Leigh Griffiths joining Edouard up front.
The Scotland striker was immediately in the thick of the action; as the ball pinged around the Copenhagen box, Rogic's shot was blocked and Griffiths hit the rebound against the face of Johnsson.
Copenhagen were still a threat on the break, and Santos dragged a shot wide which could have finished the tie. The drama then increased on 80 minutes, when Celtic were awarded a penalty via VAR, after Sigurdsson inexplicably handled Edouard's cross. The Frenchman coolly stepped forward and chipped the ball home for his 27th goal of the season
Extra-time loomed, but Copenhagen regained the lead in the tie with a second away goal six minutes from the end, after Rogic lost possession. The ball was worked to Pep Biel in acres of space on the right edge of the box, and he slid it under Forster to spark wild celebrations in the away support.
The atmosphere had been sucked out of Celtic Park, and N'Doye piled on the agony with a third goal on 88 minutes after some more calamitous defending, this time from Kristoffer Ajer.
After such a promising campaign, this was a limp way for Celtic to exit Europe.
Neil Lennon admitted Celtic had "let themselves down" but refused to criticise Jozo Simunovic - guilty of a slack back-pass - or any of his players.
"I am not going to throw anyone under a bus. We win as a team and lose as a team," Lennon said after Celtic's first defeat of 2020.
"They are a really talented bunch of players but we have let ourselves down.
"I have not spoken to Jozo. I have a duty of care to him, he has come back from a long-term injury and he has been absolutely fantastic.
"Yes, he made a mistake and then we recovered. He didn't make a mistake for a second goal. If I need to pick him up I will. That's my job. He has been magnificent for me. He made a mistake, he held his hands up and we move on.
"These players have been absolutely brilliant for me, I am not going to sit here and criticise them for mistakes. They deserved better tonight and they didn't get that. Sometimes football is cruel.
"But when you make individual errors you give the opposition encouragement. They know they have let themselves down a bit. We have had a good Europa League run and I am disappointed it ended."
Celtic must quickly turn their focus back to domestic silverware as their Scottish Cup bid continues on Sunday with a quarter-final clash against St Johnstone. Their Scottish Premiership campaign continues at Livingston on Wednesday March 4.
