Celtic 0-2 Braga: VAR Controversy and Fan Unrest as Hoops Fail Again.
Celtic’s Europa League campaign suffered another huge setback when they lost 2-0 at home to Sporting Braga on a night marred by controversy, poor goalkeeping, and increased fan protests.
Ricardo Horta started the scoring for the visitors with a speculative long-range shot that Kasper Schmeichel couldn’t handle, and Gabri Martinez added a late second to secure the victory.
But the main talking point came midway through the second half, when Kelechi Iheanacho thought he had equalised for Celtic, only for VAR to rule the goal out for handball without inviting the referee to assess the event himself.
“I presume there’s a bad Wi-Fi connection because that could be the only reason we’re not just finishing this game at 1-1,” goalkeeper Joe Hart remarked on TNT commentary. “The ball comes up. No touch, yet it hits his cheek. “I am astounded.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was equally incensed:
“From every angle, it obviously strikes his face. He’s gone through and finished superbly, which is a huge moment in the game for us. I don’t see why the referee isn’t sent to the monitor. At 1-1, the entire momentum shifts.”
Rodgers’ team improved significantly in the second half, prompting the decision. After switching to a back three at halftime, Celtic created chances through Daizen Maeda and Iheanacho, while defenders Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney made vital saves on the other end. However, their lack of innovation proved expensive once more, as has been the case throughout the season.
Braga, inspired by their victory over Feyenoord last week, punished Celtic’s wastefulness. Horta’s opening goal had previously exposed Schmeichel’s hesitation, with Paulo Bernardo slow to close him down before the Dane clawed the dipping shot into his own net. Martinez then bundled home a scrappy second with ten minutes remaining, leading many home fans to leave before the final whistle.
At full-time, chants of “All Celtic fans against the board” and calls for chairman Peter Lawwell’s resignation rang out as boos rained down on Parkhead. The protests, which had been postponed until kickoff, were sparked by a combination of poor performance and another blank in front of goal.
Rodgers recognised that his team’s offensive struggles had become a big problem:
“We are currently not scoring goals. Last season, we broke scoring records; now, we’re not taking chances.
It’s up to me to discover solutions. We should be more aggressive in the last third.”
Celtic’s misfiring frontline has already cost them dearly—failing to score against Kairat Almaty destroyed their Champions League chances, while a blank against Hibs saw them lose first place in the Premiership. After firing blanks against Braga, their chances of progressing from the Europa League group stage are in risk after only two games.
As boos resonated around Celtic Park and thousands streamed out early, the dissatisfaction was as clear as the scoreline: the issues go far beyond a single VAR call.
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