Alfredo's Biscuit
Celtic 1-2 Celta Vigo (UEFA Europa League Group Stages)
I've woken up in a hotel room in Liverpool preparing myself for a long day of travelling up to Glasgow for tonight's Europa League match. They often send me to Scotland as we've a lack of scouts north of the border. I don't mind chipping in and the fuel money is good, let's hope the football is something to enjoy too.
Celtic have been hit and miss this season so far. After winning the title last season in dramatic last game fashion they have stumbled a bit, with some new recruitments still settling in, but top of the SPL they battered Hearts at the weekend 7-1. In Europe though they crashed out already of Champions League qualification to LASK and have lost their first two games in the Europa League so far.
As for Celta, eighth in La Liga they are also looking for their first Europa League points after a shock 1-0 defeat at Omonia of Cyprus was followed by a tight 2-1 home loss against Juventus, where the Old Lady's Kolo Muani scored an injury time winner.
I'm off mid morning and heading past Anfield and Goodison Park towards Aintree and the M58 where I join the M6 at Skelmersdale and Orrell.
It's raining, then it stops, as the sun appears whilst passing the beautiful Lake District with a rainbow and into Scotland where I take my first stop off at the picturesque Annandale Services, then on to Hamilton where I have another half hour before pulling up off London Road with the view to park the right side of town for a 'quicker' exit later.
The Venue
It's a ten minute walk past the Real McCoy and the 1888 Bar before the stands of Celtic Park appear, I'm heading for the TV compound to pick up a pass, but first have a little browse in the club shop where I notice a new range of Henrik Larsson branded clothing. Perhaps the Swedish striking legend has intentions of becoming the next Fred Perry?
Pass collected, it's little past half six and I'm through the press entrance which is a side door hidden near the glass fronted corporate bit which the players also walk into via main reception. Up the stairs and into the stand I have a quick wee as the catering staff in the kiosk get ready for tonight's mayhem by preparing a few paper cups, I'm out into the open standing high on half way, set back as I walk up to my seated position which is near some rather posh seats, the view of the bowl obstructed slightly by the low roof of the stand I'm in, as the rest of the venue circles sweeping in green, the Vigo fans are already inside, singing and chanting in the corner to my right.
I usually partner up with someone in the analysis department for European nights but I'm on my own tonight. The Referees Observer is a desk down and looking all confused. He's an ex Italian official called Alfredo Trentalange who refereed many times in Serie A. He can't get the WiFi to work and is asking for a monitor so he can watch the game to spot for mistakes made by the Bulgarian officials. I tell him he can sit with me and he seems much happier with a bit of company.
It's a fabulous venue, the stand I'm in is set back and well covered, the oldest part of the ground it has red brick externals and is much lower than the three other stands that all attach together in this swooping cauldron, the away fans are making a racket in the corner to my right as the Celta commentary team sit close by chatting in Spanish, the BBC guys in front have a couple of nice monitors for me and Alfredo to use, although he's now sodded off pitch side to have a chat with the Referee. The stadium filling slowly ahead of kick off, but I'm told the Celtic Ultras are staying away tonight in boycott due to failings of the clubs board. The Green Brigade won't be making their usual noise and there's plenty of space where they would often be standing over on the far side corner.
The Game
Alfredo is back for kick off, he's got his phone out for the laser light show and the rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone before the two teams appear to large applause, the away fans feel really up for this making most of the noise, apparently Celta means Celtic in Spanish and there's a large Celtic following in Galicia where Vigo is based on the north coast. I'm told (thanks to Jordan Thomas from La Liga & Beyond Substack) that the All Ireland final is even shown on TV in this region every year and over 3,000 will be in attendance from Vigo, with many of their locals already feeling connected to Celtic football club, even the local anthem is played to the backdrop of bagpipes.
So a derby game of sorts, one that Celtic might not know much about but the away side aware of the meaning haven't come for a jolly, they are serious footballers and start the match in full control with possession and fluid movement.
There's a lot to like from this Claudio Giraldez team, a 3-4-3 which plays exactly how it should. A goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet, three centre halves who are happy to bring the ball forward and into midfield, attacking wing backs who spend more time in the opposition half than their own, two disciplined midfielders who get on the ball and play, then a front three that interchanges often and links, Jutgla the focus and big number nine alongside the timeless Iago Aspas with the armband on, he runs like Cristiano Ronaldo but plays deeper, a similar age at 39, dropping into pockets and trying to sprinkle some magic dust, whilst Hugo Alvarez is their young promising talent, he's good on the ball and takes up really intelligent spaces.
It's good to watch, they keep the ball well and when they lose it get it back so quickly, but a lot of that is down to Celtic being poor in possession themselves.
Martin O'Neill's side has a best threat out wide, they play 4-3-3 but the full backs are penned in, so they rely on Callum Osmond out left and more often Haissem Hassan out right, to get them up the field. Hassan is full of tricks but rarely beats his man, he does cross one lovely flighted ball to Camilo Duran who's header is tamely saved by Ionut Radu.
The Score
There's nothing of note in the first half which ends goalless, Alfredo nips down for a cup of tea and asks me to watch his bag, before coming up minutes before the restart with a little pack of border biscuits which he hands over to me as a thank you.
No sooner have I wiped the crumbs of my bitten shortbread off my desk do Celtic take the lead, some good work again by Hassan down the right leads to Mika Baur arriving late, the German midfielder running in following the Egyptians cross where a defender deflects the ball into his path, he makes no mistake with a hard hit shot low which sends the decibel levels up.
Celtic are suddenly good value. Baur is a midfielder I like the look of, signed from Paderborn in the summer, he's comfortable on the ball and gets his teammates ticking, the home side are now pushing for a second and Benjamin Nygren is also growing into the game, the leggy number eight forces a save from Radu before Liam Scales flicks the top of the bar with a header, but the game turns on it's head when Celta are awarded a free kick, moments after Celtic thought they should have had one which left Martin O'Neill frustrated, as he picked up a needless booking for his technical area tantrum.
Alvarez pumping a dangerous free kick into the Celtic box, centre half Javier Rodriguez on hand to head home his second goal in as many matches.
23-year-old Rodriguez is one that I had came to watch, he scored a cracker against Alaves last time out, the finish of a number nine, and he looks composed and cultured, reading the play and bringing the ball out as Spanish defenders like to do.
He's found himself twenty yards out with the ball at his feet, he's in good form and already has one for tonight so thinks 'sod it' as he pushes it from his left onto his right boot and smashes home an absolute belter. The away fans go wild, the Celta commentary team go crazy, even Alfredo admired that one with a smile.
The winning goal comes with a good twenty to play but that has knocked the stuffing out of Celtic. The better team are now in front and in full control, they see out the job with relative ease.
The Stars
A centre half who scores goals will always raise the eyebrows and this young right sider who can also play full back, Javier Rodriguez is certainly doing that, already valued in the region of £20m he's a player I think can perhaps break regularly into the Spanish national team having made his debut in the summer, only 5ft10 he's not the tallest but is so composed, he reads the game well and has great feet, good in the air for his size too.
I really like the whole set up which is testament to Coach Giraldez. Romanian international Radu a top goalkeeper, Cacares a very good centre half from Uruguay (who signed from Club America in Mexico in the summer) whilst on the left side Marcos Alonso looks so comfortable, having help on his ageing legs either side of him, with left wing back Sergio Carreira doing an awful lot of running so that Alonso doesn't have to.
Whilst I was told about Alex Febas making Celta tick in midfield There was a brilliant performance from nineteen year old Hugo Burcio besides Febas, who looked the more dominant of the two midfielders on the night. He's tall and elegant in that Busquets/Rodri type silhouette, whilst in attack, Hugo Alvarez looks like a really good player destined to have a super career.
As for Celtic, they didn't have the elegance and the quality that the Spaniards had, but plenty of fight and grit, non more so than Camilo Duran in attack, typically Colombian, playing on the edge, he got carded for dissent early on and ever after you felt he was a tackle away from being sent off, but he's a handful and works opponents very hard with his running, a touch of quality too.
I like the look of Callum Osmond who's a twenty year old English winger signed from Fulham, he scored that championship clinching goal against Hearts last season which sparked off crazy celebratory pitch invasions, whilst the likes of Nygren and Baur in midfield offer hard work ethic and sensible decisions when in possession, I feel there are perhaps others not at the level of those mentioned, and the job now for Celtic is trying to recruit players who are better equipped for this level when in Europe.
The Venue
The defeat leaves Celtic 35th of 36 teams in the Europa League standings, and for a club the size of this once European Cup winners, that is far from good enough.
Recruitment is key, and is a key reason for the sides failings in Europe in recent years, they must do better, otherwise they are likely to slip below those they should really be beating.
As for Celta, let's not forget, a La Liga regular for the last fifteen years, they are a bloody good side, and should be coming to Celtic with a lot of confidence, in trusting their ability and game plan.
After tripping up at the start they are finally running in the right direction in the Europa League group stage, and now that they are finally out of the traps with some points, I half fancy them to have a very good run.
The Teams
Celtic: Sam Johnstone, Colby Donovan, Dane Murray, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, Mika Baur (Oliver Sorensen 79), Haissem Hassan (Kasper Hogh 73), Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmond Jamie Forrest 58), Camilo Duran (Sebastian Tounetki 79).
Celta Vigo: Ionut Radu, Javi Rodriguez, Sebastian Cacares, Marcos Alonso, Javi Rueda (Andres Antanon 85), Aleix Febas, Hugo Burcio (Ilaix Moriba 63), Sergio Carreira, Iago Aspas (Williot Swedberg 63), Ferran Jutgla (Pablo Duran 77), Hugo Alvarez (Javi Galan 85).
8:00pm Kick Off. Thursday 22nd October 2026, Celtic Park, Glasgow (att 48,374).
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