Mika Baur Admits Celtic Performance Merited Defeat After Late Collapse Against Celta Vigo
Celtic midfielder Mika Baur offered a blunt assessment following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo on October 22, 2026, admitting the Scottish champions “deserved” to lose after a second-half collapse at Celtic Park. The result leaves Celtic with three consecutive losses in the Europa League league phase, sitting second from bottom in the 36-team standings.
Despite taking the lead in the 47th minute through Baur himself, Celtic conceded two goals in just three minutes during the closing stages. Javi Rodriguez struck in the 68th and 71st minutes to secure the points for the Spanish side. Before the equalizer, defender Liam Scales nearly doubled Celtic’s lead but saw his header hit the crossbar.
scored for Celtic before the visitors staged a late comeback.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the 2-1 defeat, Baur expressed frustration with the team’s inability to maintain control. “I have no idea,” Baur said when asked why the team lost composure after his opener. He stated that based on the performance in the final 30 minutes, the team deserved the outcome.
Manager Martin O’Neill, currently in his second tenure at age 74, voiced his frustration with the officiating. O’Neill criticized referee Georgi Nikolov Kabakov for missing what he described as fouls on Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran. Specifically, O’Neill claimed a foul on Duran went unpunished just seconds before the free-kick that led to Rodriguez’s equalizing goal.
The defeat continues a difficult European campaign for Celtic, who have failed to secure a point in their first three league phase matches against Ferencvaros, Benfica, and Celta Vigo.
With zero points from nine available in the Europa League, the club faces an uphill battle to progress toward the knockout stages as they navigate the new 36-team league format.
