Martin O’Neill Sets Celtic a Ten Point Europa League Challenge

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The Celtic Star

·12 November 2025

Martin O’Neill Sets Celtic a Ten Point Europa League Challenge

Celtic’s chances of a Europa League redemption after the late summer fiasco in the Champions League play-off round against the Kazakhstan Premier League champions Kairat Almaty, suffered a severe blow last Thursday in the Danish town of Herning against FC Midtjylland…

Celtic stating xI – team photo Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 Nov 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael ZemanekShutterstock

The fourth round of matches saw the high flying Danes continue to set the pace in the Europa League with a comprehensive 3-1 win over the Scottish Champions whose night was made even worse by the loss of young breakthrough striker Callum Osmand who pulled his hamstring after coming off the bench at the interval with Celtic trailing 3-0 and football betting markets at NetBet offering decent returns on Celtic going on to ‘win the second half’.

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FC Midtjylland v Celtic- The teams line up. Photo The Celtic Star

FC Midtjylland’s goals all came in an eight minute burst in the latter stages of the first half. Celtic’s stand-in right back Anthony Ralston bravely blocked a fierce effort with face and he was clearly still a little dazed and confused and The Danish side took full advantage down that side taking a two goal lead established in the space of just 90 seconds! A third followed shortly afterwards to end the tie as a contest and leave Celtic, under interim manager Martin O’Neill, in real danger of failing to reach the play-offs.

The injury to Osmand, who won the penalty for the Celtic consolation, was particulaly cruel on a number of level. Osmand, a summer signing from West Ham u21 side, was on a high after scoring an extra-time winner over Celtic’s big domestic rivals theRangers on Sunday afternoon at Hampden Park in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final. Osmand described it as ‘the best day of his life’. However he was brought back down to earth last night at the MCH Arena as he lay flat-out on the turf, clearly distressed at the pain and also the consequences of many months on the sidelines.

Martin Erlic of FC Midtjylland scores the opening goal Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 Nov 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael Zemanek IMAGO/Shutterstock

And that comes on the back of Celtic’s previous match in the Europa League where Celtic defeated Austrian Champions Sturm Graz 2-1 at Celtic Park but lost THREE players to injury – first pick right back Alistair Johnston and striker Kelechi Iheanacho both the hamstring injuries and Celtic’s ‘Big Strong Man’ Cameron Carter-Vickers to an Achilles tendon tear which required surgery and will see the American international central defender sidelined for well into next year.

That result saw Celtic drop into the elimination zone of the Europa League with just four points from four games and with an injury list clearly dampening any remaining optimism among the support, the day after the night before. Martin O’Neill set his temporary charges a ten points target after last night’s disappointment so that’s six points needed from the four remaining matches.

Callum Osmand of Celtic is injured Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025. Photo MichaelxZemanek Shutterstock/IMAGO

Next up for Celtic in the Europa League is a trip to the Netherlands to take on Feyenoord, the club Celtic lost to in the 1970 European Cup Final in Milan. That game is on Thursday 27 November and it’s followed by a home match at Celtic Park against Roma, who won 2-0 in Glasgow last night in Govan, beating theRangers 2-0 to leave the latest Ibrox club rock bottom of the European League standings. Roma return to Glasgow – this time to Parkhead on Thursday 11 December.

Celtic then travel to Italy to take on Bologna FC 1909 on 22 January and the group stage campaign will finish off against Dutch side FC Utrecht on 29 January at Celtic Park.

FC Midtjylland v Celtic- The Celtic support. Photo The Celtic Star

Celtic could have a new manager in place for two or possibly three of these matches and the club is set to spend heavily in the January transfer window after having a particularly challenging time in both windows this year. So there is some grounds for hope, less perhaps for optimism at this stage, but if Celtic can take something from Rotterdam then things will look much better than they did at full-time in Herning.