Celtic manager Martin O’Neill described his team as ‘masters of their own downfall’ following a 4-1 defeat to Stuttgart in the Europa League play-off first leg at Celtic Park.

Match Highlights

Bilal El Khannouss scored twice around Benjamin Nygren’s strike in the first half, giving Stuttgart a strong lead. Jamie Leweling and substitute Tiago Tomas added late goals to secure the victory, leaving Celtic with a daunting challenge in the return leg in Germany next Thursday.

The loss coincided with O’Neill’s 1,000th game as a manager, highlighting the gap between Scottish clubs and top European sides.

O’Neill Assesses the Defeat

O’Neill acknowledged the tough night ahead. ‘It’s a tough evening for us,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘On paper, 4-1 looks pretty poor but we were masters of our own downfall in many aspects. We conceded poor goals. At 1-1 we were well in the game, even at 2-1.’

He emphasized the difficulty of overturning the scoreline against a Bundesliga fourth-placed team. ‘It’s a tough ask. You’re travelling over to a side who are fourth in the Bundesliga and are very capable of winning this competition.’

O’Neill noted financial disparities. ‘At some stage, Celtic will become a top-quality team, but that’s in the future. At this minute, our battles are elsewhere. It’s very difficult for Scottish teams. There’s no money. You’re talking about Premier League sides and Bundesliga sides buying players for £40million and them not playing.’

Fan Protest Disrupts Kick-Off

The game faced an early delay as supporters protested against the board by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch moments after kick-off. Stewards and players cleared the objects before play resumed.

O’Neill criticized the action. ‘Anyone who thinks that is a good idea needs their head examined. A way back, this was an incredibly difficult, intimidating place to come. Teams like Juventus were terrified coming here. That sort of thing does not help at all. What it does do, is Stuttgart find out there’s a lot of infighting going on. It doesn’t make sense to me. If I’m a Stuttgart player, I’m pretty happy if that’s the case.’

Schmeichel Faces Criticism

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel bore responsibility for two goals, drawing boos from some fans in the second half. O’Neill backed the 39-year-old ahead of Sunday’s match against Hibs. ‘Kasper Schmeichel has made some big saves since I’ve been at the club. The game against Feyenoord, he pulls off a great save, and (without that) we may not even have been playing here. This is a collective. I didn’t (hear any boos). I genuinely don’t know.’

McGregor Looks Ahead

Captain Callum McGregor remained defiant. ‘I think they scored at good times. I don’t think it’s a 4-1 game and if you look back, we had some good moments. The goals come at good times for them and kill any of our momentum. I think the third goal is the one which kills us.’

He stressed resilience. ‘We have to keep going, have to keep fighting, so many big games. That won’t define the season in terms of what we’re trying to do. The focus is now on Sunday (against Hibs) and when we go there (to Stuttgart) next week, we have to claw some pride back.’