Celtic are going to need a miracle to get through to the next stage of the Europa League after their first leg defeat.
The Hoops were humiliated at home by Stuttgart at Celtic Park as Martin O’Neill watched his team crumble before his eyes.
Those fans travelling to Germany next week will know that there is very little chance of progressing to the next round but, if they did, it would end a 12-year wait to avenge a first leg defeat.
- READ MORE: Five things learned from Celtic’s defeat to VfB Stuttgart, with Julian Araujo the silver lining
Can you see any way of Celtic getting back into this tie?
Why did it go so wrong? Let us know
Celtic’s last European win after a first leg defeat
It has been 22 years since Celtic won a knockout tie in the latter stages, but they have had to face two-legged affairs in some of their European qualifiers.
That came against Legia Warsaw in the Champions League qualifiers where they were also beaten 4-1 in the first leg before winning the second leg 3-0.
This was when the away goal rule was still a thing though, so that is how they went through.
They’ve only come recovered from a first leg loss to win the second leg on six other occasions in the past, so it really shows that luck is not on their side.
| Year | Competition | Opponent | First leg score | Second leg score | Aggregate score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | European Cup | Vojvodina | 0-1 (A) | 2-0 (H) | 2-1 |
| 1968 | European Cup | Saint Etienne | 0-2 (A) | 4-0 (H) | 4-2 |
| 1983 | UEFA Cup | Sporting CP | 0-2 (A) | 5-0 (H) | 5-2 |
| 1992 | UEFA Cup | Koln | 0-2 (A) | 3-0 (H) | 3-2 |
| 2009 | Champions League | Dynamo Moscow | 0-1 (H) | 2-0 (A) | 2-1 |
| 2013 | Champions League | Shakhtar Karagandy | 0-2 (A) | 3-0 (H) | 3-2 |
| 2014 | Champions League | Legia Warsaw | 1-4 (A) | 3-0 (H) | 4-4 (Celtic win on away goals rule) |
Where do Celtic go from here?
A performance like the one against Stuttgart is as embarrassing as it gets on the big stage.
While many fans would prefer to sacrifice the European dream to retain the Scottish Premiership, defeats like that will do nothing for anybody’s confidence.
It shows that the Bhoys wilt on the big stage and can’t handle the pressure, while some of those looked like they didn’t want to be on the pitch at all.
After seeing the protests at Celtic Park, did you agree with them?
Tell us why in the comments
We can hope that a miracle in Stuttgart takes place, but it may be a long wait until the next European game.
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