Post-Match Interview – Callum McGregor speaks to The Celtic Star

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The Celtic Star

·3 ottobre 2025

Post-Match Interview – Callum McGregor speaks to The Celtic Star

The Celtic Star spoke to skipper Callum McGregor after Celtic’s 2-0 defeat to Sporting Braga in the Europa League last night…

Callum McGregor arrives at Celtic Park ahead of the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Celtic FC and SC Braga at Celtic Park on October 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Celtic Star: Callum, your reflections on tonight?

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Callum McGregor: “First-half, we actually started the game OK and then the goal rocks us. Then we lose rhythm on the ball, and I think at that point we spend too much time without the ball and then we regained it we didn’t have enough quality to get ourselves back into the game and get the rhythm back.

“Second-half we changed it tactically, got more aggressive, went man-to-man in the first phase of the game and that really helped us, we got a lot more turnovers, were in control of the game and I think for large parts of the second half we were the better team, we were the dominant team.

Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal, which was later ruled out during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Celtic FC and SC Braga at Celtic Park on October 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“The goal obviously with Kels [Iheanacho] is a big moment, it doesn’t quite drop for you the decision and I think that is a key moment in the game. I think if we score there, we go onto win the game. But, overall, it’s a poor result and a lot to work on.”

The Celtic Star: You think back to eight months ago in the Allianz Arena, a disappointing result against Braga, a middle of the road Portuguese side this season, where do you think it’s went wrong with the regression in the team?

Callum McGregor: “I think we’re still trying to find the best combination, I think personally. We’ve changed a lot of players, brought new players in and we’re trying to find the right balance and the right mix of the attributes we’ve got which is slightly different to last season.

Celtic line-up prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Celtic FC and SC Braga at Celtic Park on October 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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“So, it’s like any team when you piece together a new team it takes time to get those connections, players playing with each other, movements, it’s not been as slick as we’d have liked it to have been. Up until this point, we’ve still been winning games, started reasonably well in the league and through to the semi-final of the cup, but obviously the last week has probably not been good enough and we have to keep working and trying to tune those wee connections and get the team up to speed. I’ve got no doubt that it will click, and we’ll get there.”

Kelechi Iheanacho looked to have gotten Celtic back into the game... but VAR rules out his strike for handball ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK
– giovedì 2 ottobre 2025

The Celtic Star: Just on the disallowed goal, it was a very poor call, wasn’t it?

Callum McGregor: “Aye, I think if we’re honest it’s a poor decision. With VAR you’d expect 99% of the decisions to be right, there is enough cameras here in the stadium to hopefully get the right angle and I can only assume that’s what the reason was.

@footballontnt @tntsports @discoveryplusUK Huh?! Hits his head!
– giovedì 2 ottobre 2025

“Kel is adamant it hit him in the face, and I think everyone pretty much seen that. Like I said, it’s probably indicative of where we have been in this last wee period, but we have to keep working, we have to grind it out and finish strong here at the weekend – three points, good performance and then hopefully over the international we’ll keep working hard and hopefully see an improved team after that.”

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Conor Spence

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