Celtic Europa League Lesson: Martin O’Neill’s “Teacher” Mode Activated After Midtjylland Mauling
Martin O’Neill lasted four days as Celtic’s conquering hero. Sunday: extra-time League Cup semi-final win over Rangers, Hampden roaring. Thursday: 3-0 half-time, 4-1 final score in Denmark, Celtic humiliated by a Midtjylland side that treated them like schoolboys.
The 73-year-old interim boss stood on the MCH Arena touchline looking every one of those years. “I sound like a teacher,” he sighed post-match. “But I’ll try to teach them the game as quickly as possible.”
Key Points – 6 November 2025
- Midtjylland 4-1 Celtic (Europa League League Phase)
- Celtic concede THREE goals in eight first-half minutes (11’, 16’, 19’)
- First defeat in O’Neill’s second spell (P4 W3 L1)
- Midtjylland top Europa League table (13 points from 5 games)
- Celtic drop to 23rd (4 points from 5 games) – play-off places in serious jeopardy
- O’Neill: “It could have been any score.”
The Eight Minutes That Broke Celtic
11’ – Anthony Ralston ball-watching, Mikel Kruger-Johnsen volleys home at the back post. 16’ – 19-year-old Kruger-Johnsen ghosts past three defenders, bends a beauty into the top corner. 19’ – Throw-in not dealt with, Oliver Sørensen rifles in from 20 yards.
Nine shots on target. Six off target. 68% possession. Midtjylland could have named the scoreline.
O’Neill didn’t hide: “The goals we conceded weren’t good. Some things change in football, others never do. Once a winger gets inside your full-back, you’re in trouble. We let him do it three times in eight minutes.”
Martin O’Neill’s Challenge at Celtic: Back to School
This wasn’t tactical naivety. This was basic defending missing.
O’Neill spelled it out like a classroom lesson:
- Stop the cross before it reaches the box
- Don’t allow 2v2 situations to become 1v2
- Clear your lines from a throw-in
“These are things they might already know,” he said. “Maybe they need reminding. Maybe they don’t know. That’s my job.”
At 73, the man who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest is teaching professional footballers how to defend set-pieces. That sentence alone sums up Celtic’s current state.
Callum McGregor’s Brutal Reality Check
Captain Callum McGregor scored the extra-time winner against Rangers. Four days later he refused to sugar-coat the collapse.
“Nothing’s solved after one good game at the weekend. We don’t get too high or too low. We came up against a very good side who know exactly what they are. There’s still a lot of growth needed in this team.”
Translation: the League Cup semi-final was a sticking plaster. Europe just ripped it off.
Midtjylland: The Blueprint Celtic Can’t Match (Yet)
Thomas Thomasberg’s side are everything Celtic currently aren’t:
| Metric | Midtjylland | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
| Europa League points | 13 (1st) | 4 (23rd) |
| Goals scored | 14 | 7 |
| Goals conceded | 4 | 11 |
| xG per game | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| Pressures won % | 34% | 26% |
They pressed like demons, passed like artists, and punished every mistake. Celtic looked like a team that had never played together.
The Bigger Picture: Board in the Dock Again
O’Neill’s return bought the Celtic board three weeks of peace. One European night just blew it apart.
- Permanent manager search: still no shortlist announced
- January budget: reportedly “limited”
- Squad value: £58 m (11th in Scotland)
- Average age: 27.8 (oldest in the league)
The feel-good factor is gone. The questions are back, louder than ever.
What Happens Next?
Celtic’s Europa League hopes hang by a thread. They need:
- Win both remaining games (Borussia Dortmund H, Dinamo Zagreb A)
- Hope six other results go their way
Realistically, they’re heading for the Conference League play-offs in February – if they get there.
O’Neill has 11 days until Dortmund visit Parkhead. Eleven days to teach professional footballers how to defend.
He won’t have forgotten how to manage in Europe. The question is whether this squad can learn fast enough.
One thing is certain: the Martin O’Neill challenge at Celtic just got a whole lot steeper.
