Celtic saw their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the Europa League ended by Ajax in a 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park this evening.
The Bhoys went ahead in the fourth minute when the returning Callum McGregor found the back of the net with a strike from distance, but Arkadiusz Milik equalised for the Dutch side.
Both teams pressed for a winner in the second half to keep their chances of qualifying alive, and Ajax were able to hit Ronny Deila's men on the counter late in the game to remain within striking distance of Fenerbahce as Vaclav Cerny scored in the 88th minute.
Below, Sports Mole analyses the match to see if the result was fair.
Match statistics
CELTIC
Shots: 14
On target: 6
Possession: 41%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 7
AJAX
Shots: 18
On target: 4
Possession: 59%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12
Was the result fair?
The fair result would have probably been a stalemate as both teams left themselves wide open in the final minutes of the match in search of a winner, and Ajax showed the clinical edge in front of goal to take all three points. Celtic had the better of the opening exchanges in the first half, but the Dutch side battled back after going behind and could have held the lead going into the break.
The Bhoys came out strongly in the second half, but missed a host of chances which they ultimately paid for in their narrow defeat, which in the grand scheme of things did not matter as they would have been eliminated from the Europa League anyway due to Fenerbahce's victory over Molde. Deila will believe that his side created enough opportunities to win, but if you fail to take them you put yourself at risk.
Celtic's performance
The Bhoys will be disappointed with their execution in the final third at Celtic Park. They created ample opportunities over the course of the contest, but their attacking players were unable to fire them to victory. Leigh Griffiths was especially guilty as he missed a host of opportunities throughout the match, including a one-on-one against Jasper Cillessen, which was saved by the Netherlands keeper.
Despite the absences of Scott Brown and Nir Bitton, the Celtic midfield coped well and were able to create chances for the frontmen as well as offering protection to the back four. McGregor performed admirably on his return to action and displayed good finishing skills to find the net in the early stages of the match. Tomas Rogic and Stuart Armstrong also had strong outings as they battled the Ajax midfield in an even contest in the middle of the park.
Celtic's main problem throughout the group stage has been their defending, which was again their downfall at Celtic Park. Deila would have hoped that his team could have held out until at least half time with a lead, but Ajax grew into the game and found the net via a scrappy goal, with the finger of blame pointed at any of the back four. It was the third time in the group stage that the Bhoys had thrown away a lead, and the lack of confidence felt by the defence seemed to manifest itself in the second half as several players made key mistakes which almost led to goals before Cerny eventually found the net.
Ajax's performance
The Dutch side were good enough in the final third to claim the victory to keep their hopes of reaching the next round of the competition alive. Frank de Boer will not have been elated with their performance as they allowed Celtic a cheap goal to take the lead in the fourth minute, but their response to going behind may have pleased him as many teams could have folded in the same situation.
Amin Younes was a threat for the visitors throughout the contest and always provided an outlet down the wing, while Milik was a thorn in the side of the Celtic defence when the ball came into the box. Most of their attacking play came through Younes, and when he drifted out of the game during the second half the Dutch side were quiet. De Boer will have been concerned to see Griffiths find space with relative ease in the box, which on another day could have cost his team.
However, Ajax were clinical when they needed to be and punished Celtic for their mistakes, and will now face Molde in their final match in a desperate attempt to overhaul Fenerbahce to finish second in the group and seal their place in the next round.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Amin Younes: The winger was a constant thorn in the side of the Celtic defence, although he was not outstanding in the match. However, his best spells in the game coincided with his team's, so he was the driving force behind their success in the final third as he gave Mikael Lusting all sorts of problems down the left flank. He was unlucky not to find the net with a late strike that crashed off the post and bounced clear. Good display from the 22-year-old.
Biggest gaffe
Griffiths had the chance to fire Celtic ahead in the 78th minute when he latched on to a through-ball from Scott Allan with only Cillessen to beat. However, he was denied by the Netherlands keeper, which was to be costly for his team.
Referee performance
Felix Zwayer had a fine match. The official made all the right calls and went unnoticed for the majority of proceedings, which is a good sign for a referee as he allowed the play to flow. The one incorrect decision came from the linesman as he wrongly flagged Milik offside as he laid the ball into the path of Viktor Fischer to find the net.
What next?
Celtic: The Bhoys travel to play Inverness Caledonian Thistle in their Scottish Premiership clash on Sunday.
Ajax: De Boer's men have an away trip against PEC Zwolle on Sunday in their next Eredivisie match.
Simon Sinclair
