Celtic suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Ferencvaros in the opening round of the Europa League group stage on Thursday, extending a difficult run of form following their recent 3-0 loss to Rangers in the League Cup. The match, played at Celtic Park, saw the Scottish side struggle to find consistency, despite an early equalizer from Mika Baur.

Ferencvaros took the lead before halftime, but Celtic responded late in the first half with Baur’s goal, raising hopes among the home supporters. However, those hopes were short-lived as Kristoffer Zachariassen restored the visitors’ advantage just before halftime. Early in the second half, Daniel Arzani, a former Celtic player whose time at the club was marred by injuries, put the result beyond doubt by scoring to extend Ferencvaros’ lead.

The defeat marked another setback for Celtic, who have now endured consecutive losses across competitions. Manager Martin O’Neill, who made four changes to the starting lineup, faced questions about his team’s tactics and selections after the match. Ahead of the fixture, O’Neill was reluctant to elaborate on his decisions, telling reporters, “Believe it or not, my job is not to explain every single decision to you, as much as you’re going to ask and I’m delighted you are.”

Celtic’s performance raised concerns among fans and analysts, particularly given the high expectations for their Europa League campaign. The side will need to reassess and stabilize results quickly, as the group stage progresses. Ferencvaros, meanwhile, delivered a commanding performance away from home to secure all three points in a critical opening match.