Wilfried Nancy’s second match as Celtic head manager didn’t go as planned. AS Roma absolutely blitzed Celtic, winning 3-0.
The Italian visitors needed just six minutes to break the deadlock when L. Scales inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, setting the tone for a miserable evening at Celtic Park. Despite controlling 57% possession, Celtic struggled to convert their dominance into clear-cut chances.
E. Ferguson proved to be the Hoops’ tormentor-in-chief, striking twice to seal Roma’s comprehensive victory. The forward doubled the lead in the 36th minute before adding his second on the stroke of half-time, capping a disastrous opening 45 minutes for the home side. A. Engels pulled one back for Celtic right before the interval, but the goal was ultimately overshadowed by Ferguson’s clinical finishing.
Nancy responded with a triple substitution at half-time, introducing B. Nygren, D. Maeda, and K. Tierney in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the match. Celtic thought they’d found a lifeline when Kelechi Iheanacho had the ball in the net in the 65th minute, only for VAR to cruelly cancel the strike. Roma also saw Leon Bailey’s effort chalked off by VAR eleven minutes later.
The statistics paint a frustrating picture for Celtic. Despite registering 1.34 xG to Roma’s 1.47 and maintaining superior possession, they managed just two shots on target from nine attempts. Roma’s defensive discipline, evidenced by 21 effective clearances and 13 interceptions, nullified Celtic’s territorial advantage.
Tempers flared throughout, with Roma collecting five yellow cards, including bookings for MatÃas Soulé, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Mario Hermoso before half-time. Nancy faces mounting pressure to arrest this concerning start to his Celtic tenure.
