FERENCVAROS DELIVERED A Champions League sucker punch to Celtic with a stunning 2-1 win at Parkhead.
David Siger shot the Hungarian side into the lead in the seventh minute of the second qualifier but Ryan Christie, deputising for the injured Odsonne Edouard as the Hoops started without a recognised striker, levelled in the 53rd minute with a deflected shot.
Neil Lennon’s side dominated possession before and after the break but in the 74th minute, against the run of play, Tokmac Nguen restored the visitors’ advantage with a breakaway goal which meant the Scottish champions dropped down to the Europa League qualifiers.
Sergei Rebrov’s side delivered on their promise to be a step up in class from KR Reykjavik who lost 6-0 in the first qualifier at Celtic Park last week.
The Hungarian outfit did not lose in seven away games in Europe last season – five draws and two wins – and thus arrived in Glasgow with confidence.
Christie led the line in the absence of Edouard while defenders Hatem Elhamed and Kristoffer Ajer and winger James Forrest returned to the side, the latter making his 400th appearance for the Hoops.
Strikers Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala were judged by Lennon not to be match fit and they watched Forrest have the first effort on target after four minutes, his left-footed drive beaten away by Ferencvaros keeper Denes Dibusz.
The visitors then sustained a brief spell of pressure before a swift break saw them win a corner from which they took the lead.
The Hoops’ defence appeared to clear their lines but Somalia headed to Siger and he had time to take a touch before powering a drive from 22 yards past keeper Vasilis Barkas and into the far corner of the net.
Celtic kept plugging away amid cascading rain.
Christie and midfielders Olivier Ntcham and Mohamed Elyounoussi all had efforts which were either blocked or sped wide and just on the half-hour mark Christie failed to connect with a Greg Taylor cross only a few yards out.
Elyounoussi had two more attempts and midfielder Callum McGregor had a shot saved as the home side finished the first half strongly.
Celtic got the goal their pressure deserved eight minutes after the break when Elyounoussi, after working a one-two with Forrest, set up Christie who curled the ball over the grasping Dibusz with the help of a nick off Adnan Kovacevic’s head.
Ferencvaros now looked less convincing.
Moments later Ntcham crashed a shot off the turf and against the bar after taking a cut-back from Elhamed before Christie’s shot escaped the far post.
Elyounoussi had the ball in the net after taking a Taylor pass but the flag was up early.
Then, out of the blue, Nguen raced on to a long clearance out of defence and held off the attention of Elhamed before squeezing in from the tightest of angles.
Celtic were desperate in their response. Christie worked some space in the box and cut the ball back but found no takers and the home side eventually ran out of time, including five minutes added on, with their Champions League dreams ended.
Ah but they would do class in the premier league though
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: with the financial rewards of been in the epl they would do just fine.with this current team they would struggle massively obviously.
Boli Bolingoli was in Europe longer than celtic.
@James Elphick: technically you are wrong old bud.
@James Elphick: James Elphick was gone missing longer than boli bolingoli????
@James Elphick: rangers dinner is gone well cold at the top of the table?
@John kane: Not one of ye appreciate that comment? But to be fair this Hungarian side would probably be a top 4 side in the Premier league.
@Pauly Kells: Good one Paul. I like the extra ?? to really express your feelings. How’s the farmers leagues going?
Lennon is so out of his depth.
I had the misfortune of tuning into the last ten minutes, any time the camera went to him he was standing, hand in pockets like a spanner.
All the hard work done by Rodgers for 3 years in terms of playing an attractive style of football has gone right out the window.
Pretty much the same midfield as last year, so the players/board haven’t learned their lessons.
The board will stick by him because he’s “one of their own” but if they want to win the 10 they need to get the finger out.
@Sean O Reily: win the 10 is nonsense. They beat one other team to do that. They cram 40k each week in to a stadium but play football to a LOI level. Scottish league football is on a level of Div 1 in England. Celtic would struggle in the championship. Sad fact.
@Sean Healy: you obviously don’t watch any Scottish football if that’s your view. Every armchair goon thinks it’s only the EPL and champions League
@Bill Clay: Genuine question, would the third best Scottish team be better than the best Irish team?
@Gareth Ward: Aberdeen would be ye
@Bill Clay: Celtic would struggle in the championship tho.
They’d be fighting for the play offs, nothing more.
@Sean Healy: LOI level gets 2 sides to the Europa Knockout stages? And sells players for 30 million? Right then
Absolutely dreadful, and this isn’t the first time. There has been some great nights in Europe under Lennon, but something is not right in the squad, or in its management.
@Dan Finlay: Agreed and over the years I saw great European nights in CP.
For me 03 against Olympic Lyon when the late Liam Millar came off bench and scored was my best
Nostalgia aside overall this is a poor enough squad with no enforcer type player.
Brown is getting on,miles clocked up.
Others just not up to it.
Manager gone stale and back room team obviously not up to it either.
Mr Rebrov lived up to his promise to dump Celtic out of competition.
He was a class act as player and is a fair good manager.
Dont be surprised if his team cause a few more upsets.
Ferencveros not getting credit they deserve on this platform.
A poor showing . People on here making comparisons with epl , should look to where Man City , Chelsea , were a few years ago , until the big daddy’s came along to bank roll them . Celtic have done wonders in Europe with what they have done , when Barca , Madrid were top teams , and against the odds . Nobody is denying that Scotland will never attract that big daddy , but nobody can deny that Celtic have won a champs lge , that some big clubs in the EPL haven’t .
@Tricksy: What u mean the chelsea who won 2 fa cups, league cup, European cup winners cup and the super cup beating Real Madrid in the final all in the 10 years before Roman arrived? Do some research we ain’t Man City?
@Tricksy: Celtic never won a Champions League. Who was bank rolling Liverpool in 2005…Utd won in 1999 with the class of 92… For the last 20+ EPL teams have been up there in Europe and certainly not getting beat by the likes of these Hungry guys.
@JT: Celtic never won the champions league?? You don’t know much about football pal!! They were the first club in the uk to do it!
@Dec: don’t be educating these dopes dec , don’t mention that Celtic beat inter with a group of Scottish players within 30 miles of Glasgow area , to win the European cup
@Tricksy: Educate yourself mate, they’ve never won the champions league they won the European cup, champions league totally diff format so he’s correct? They can’t get past qualifiers for champions league let alone win it?
@Philip Mckenna: what’s the name of the Cup the winner gets? Champions League Cup? Football didn’t begin in the 90’s Philip
@my name: never said it did but can you say they’ve won the “champions league” no you can’t same way as it took Liverpool 30 years to win the “premier league”??? Diff format so yes they’ve been champions of Europe but they’ve never won the “champions league” Liverpool were champions of England but until last season they’d never won premier league? You don’t get that there’s no point in replying?
@Philip Mckenna: your up above there givin out about grammar police and you come out with this. Just to remind you Liverpool have 19 league titles and never had to wait 50 years for another
@my name: You’re missin the point as usual? You hadn’t won THE PREMIER LEAGUE Until this season end of? Everyone said it even your own players said it? You can’t deny that and what’s that got to do with 50 years? I have yet to meet anyone as chippy as yourself every comment you see on here is a direct attack on you and your team, really dude you’re losing it? Google how many times have Liverpool won premier league? Celtic haven’t won the champions league either google that?
@Philip Mckenna: for the hard of hearing, football didn’t start in the 90’s Philip
Christ on a bike
Just another Lennon in Europe disasterclass
Won’t improve unless they’re challenged domestically. Same applies to Juve
@ollie: no excuse to have strikers on the bench and none on the pitch though.
@ollie: Juve don’t get beat by Hungarian farmers tho….
@Sean O Reily: are ferencvaros farmer’s? I thought they won they’re league last year, farmer’s, genuinely??
@Sean O Reily: not the point
Pathetic display.
Big question mark over Lennon now.
@Nigel Delaney: Id say over the side not the manager, the team he has now are nowhere near the excellent side of yester year. Badly needs funds to build a strong side but doubtful he’ll get it.
Who cares. Scottish soccer is cat
@Pat Andrews: you cared enough to comment.
Jesus that Scottish league is pathetic, they used to give it a crack in Europe, even get to group stages couple times, but now can’t make it past a couple of qualifiers!!!
@Philip Mckenna: Celtic would have had to get past 3 qualifiers and a play off round.
In saying that extremely disappointing. I’m at a loss to attempt to explain it.
I don’t know why when Celtic have a poor result you get people coming on here comparing the team to the EPL and Championship and the Irish league.
It’s a futile argument. Give it a rest.
@Henry Toye: How is it futile? Jesus ferencvaros wouldn’t get out of league 2 in England? And will be hammered in the next round, Grow up , Jesus Lincoln imps part timers from Gibraltar best them few years ago! The league is a joke it’s why no one watches it outside Scotland that’s fact and if u think they’d win championship your deluded, because the players last night wouldn’t get into any championship squad. As soon as your forward is gone it’s league 1 quality results in Europe prove that recently?
@Philip Mckenna:
It’s futile because it will never happen. Anytime Celtic have a poor result the posts are the same. Why even make the comparison ?
Do you think if Porto have a poor result they are compared to the Spanish league? If an Austrian team have a poor result they are compared to the German league.
Why not make that comparison? Would Celtic do well in Ligue 1 in France? Celtic should have beaten that team last night but they didn’t. That’s the worrying part – not you or your comment.
@Philip Mckenna: where in my comment did I say Celtic would win the championship?
@Philip Mckenna: and it’s you’re deluded. Not your deluded.
@Henry Toye: Jesus a Grammar cop the most boring people on the planet?
@Henry Toye: Make the comparison because they wanted to play in England premiership? Portuguese clubs don’t wanna play in la liga? As I said they wouldn’t get out of championship and that’s a fact.
@Philip Mckenna: im not from scotland & i watch it.red imps beat them in 1 of the legs not over the 2 legs.stick to your over hyped sky epl.
@Philip Mckenna: Clown
@Philip Mckenna:
If Celtic had the resources that competing clubs had. Even Championship clubs they would excel. That’s the fact.
@Philip Mckenna: you can’t even get the correct capitals in your own name right.
So people who use the correct grammar in your world are boring. God help your children.
@Philip Mckenna: when has anybody from celtic mentioned playing in the english leagues?
I think you will find it has always been the media saying it.
@Henry Toye: Imagine What Lincoln imps would do with Celtic resources?????? Clown lol
@Nigel Delaney: How overhyped? All 4 finalists in European finals couple seasons ago first time ever?????? Overhyped rofl?? Only Spain has won more? How the hell
is that overhyped? We’ve also got the most different winners to show how strong our league is hows that overhyped? oh and the most watched league ever always has been always will be? Please show me how it’s overhyped rofl here, did u say overhyped last year when we had all 4 teams in finals? No thought not!
@Philip Mckenna: burnley v crystal palace on a monday night & sky will hype it to the last.true or false?
How many top quality games were there in the epl last season?
How many english teams got to the euro finals in the season just over?
Who’s we?
What does rofl even mean?
Most watched maybe but again the sky hype.a very average league with 2 top teams,6 ok teams & 12 bang average teams all with huge financial powers.
Bloody hell, Celtic are a shambles. Bet they’d have Rodgers back in a heart beat. Seems like this team is 10 years behind Roger’s one. 10 in a row is looking rocky now.
As a follower of various sports i logged onto your page hoping to see updates of last nights game. Nothing, nada, zilch, you would have thought that there were no qualifying games for the CL taking place
@Brendan Devlin:
The 42 like most of its readers / contributors are EPL obsessed.
@Henry Toye: Agreed.
Chrisht on a bike
They’re miles away from the excellent side they had when Lennon use to play.