November 08, (THEWILL) – Celtic were handed a humiliating 6-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, after Daizen Maeda was sent off in the first half. The crushing loss leaves Celtic’s UEFA Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.
The trouble began when Maeda was shown a straight red card after a VAR review for a dangerous challenge on Mario Hermoso. Atletico were already 1-0 up through Antoine Griezmann at that point. Manager Brendan Rodgers was furious with the decision, receiving a booking for his protests.
Despite valiant defensive efforts, the numerical disadvantage eventually took its toll. Alvaro Morata and Griezmann both scored braces, with substitutes Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez compounding Celtic’s misery with late goals. The rout sees Celtic remain rooted to the bottom of Group B with just one point.
The defeat was Celtic’s heaviest in Europe for 7 years. They must now beat Lazio and Feyenoord in their remaining games and hope other results go their way to stand any chance of progression. Tonight was a harsh reality check for Rodgers’ side against top-level opposition.
Maeda and Luis Palma will miss the next game away to Lazio through suspension. Celtic must pick themselves up quickly if they are to keep their European adventure going beyond this year.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
