Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson has been discussing the Bhoys’ defeat to Lazio last night.
Celtic failed to score for the third time in the Champions League this season, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma being the only players to find the net for the Hoops in the competition.
Despite Brendan Rodgers bringing on South Korean striker Hyeongyu Oh to play alongside Kyogo in the second half, the Celtic striker pair failed to make an impact.
The Bhoys needed a victory to stand any chance of European football after Christmas, but the introduction of Oh alongside Kyogo did not make any noticeable difference.
Wilson said: [Sky Sports], “I thought it was an accomplished performance for the most part tonight. They controlled possession but just had no real cutting edge upfront. When they did create one or two slight openings, they couldn’t take those opportunities. I think that’s the thing that’s going to disappoint Brendan Rodgers the most when he analyses this game.
“The difference tonight was a top-quality front man in Immobile, who came on in the hour mark, as well, the same time as Oh, but really made the difference when the chance falls to him. It’s a dream for a striker of his quality. It knocked the stuffing out of Celtic, and once again, they find themselves out of Europe.
“That’s been the problem. If there is a way to lose European games, Celtic somehow find a way to do it. Sometimes it’s tough to explain.
“Tonight they were much better. It was much more controlled and measured, but again, it comes with the same outcome: zero points, zero goals, and out of European football.”
Wilson points out that while Celtic controlled possession for much of the game, they struggled to capitalise on key opportunities, creating only one or two slight openings that went unconverted.
The former Celtic defender also expressed his disappointment on behalf of Brendan Rodgers, emphasising the crucial role that a top-quality front man, exemplified by Lazio’s Immobile, played in deciding the outcome of the match highlighting his belief that Celtic need to sign a new striker in January.
Despite Wilson’s criticisms, he emphasised the stark contrast between Celtic’s controlled and measured performance, which for 80 minutes appeared to be paying off in negating Lazio. This was in comparison to losses against Feyenoord and Atletico Madrid in previous group games away from home where the Hoops looked disjointed and unorganised.
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