It’s going to take some time for the dust to settle on Celtic’s Champions League exit.
For the second time in as many months, Celtic suffered penalty shootout heartache; in May, it was against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final, and now it was in the hands of Kazakhstan side Kairat Almaty in a two-legged Champions League qualifier.
One thing is for sure: both were deserved, and the Celtic players, the board, as well as the manager, Brendan Rodgers, have to suck it up and take all the criticism.
Celtic should have got the job done over the two legs, and given the gulf in difference between the two, penalties shouldn’t have been needed, but they were, and the calls made during the shootout have left Martin O’Neill scratching his head.
- READ MORE: BBC commentator noticed what Almaty star did ‘half a dozen times’ vs Celtic but was never penalised
Arne Engels’ penalty call during Celtic’s defeat to Kairat Almaty
Arne Engels is Celtic’s main penalty taker, as he proved during his debut campaign last season, but he was third pick for this shootout.
The man who stepped up first was Adam Idah, and those calls were questioned by O’Neill, as he admitted that it’s ‘difficult’ to accept why that was the case, especially given that the Republic of Ireland striker missed.
The legendary Hoops coach, whilst citing the King of Kings Henrik Larsson, thinks your main penalty taker should be first up, regardless of whether he misses or not, as he told Amazon Prime Sport (26/08/25).
“It was an interesting choice, and everyone to their own,” admitted O’Neill. “Listen, I am not sitting here starting to criticise the choice of it, but generally speaking, if I have a penalty shootout, my best penalty taker is going to go first.
“I need that psychological advantage there early on, he scores the goal, you are 1-0 up, and the other team are on the back foot. I would do that.
“But I have had a situation where Henrik Larsson scores loads of penalties. Stepped up in a penalty shootout and was the first one to miss. I still would have done that because you do need that advantage early on. You have everything going for you.
“So, you are going to take the first penalty, you miss that there, and your best penalty taker, who supposedly is third in, so that’s a difficult one.
“But I am a long, long, long way from Kazakhstan, so I don’t know what’s on people’s minds. All I am saying is that, if you are depending on a penalty shootout after two legs of not creating that much, then it is in the lap of the Gods.”
Adam Idah and Engels’ penalty records
This isn’t anything out of the ordinary that Idah is stepping up to take a penalty; he has done so for Celtic before, during games and in shootouts.
But when Engels is supposedly the main guy, and he isn’t first up, you miss the first spot-kick, then you have to accept the consequences of what’s coming.
Either way, Celtic only have themselves to blame for their Champions League exit, and this is how Engels and Idah’s penalty records have fared in the green and white colours.
- Engels’ penalties taken for Celtic: 10
- Penalties scored: 8
- Penalties missed/saved: 2
- Idah’s penalties taken for Celtic: 5
- Penalties scored: 3
- Penalties missed/saved: 2
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