Celtic have fallen to a third straight Europa League defeat, leaving their hopes of qualification from the League Phase seriously fractured.

Unlike last week, when they were comprehensively beaten by Benfica, their performance was much more competitive — but with little margin for error, they were punished by an impressive visiting side.

Mika Baur scored in a second consecutive match to give the Hoops the lead, but a quickfire double from defender Javi Rodriguez provided a shock from which Martin O’Neill’s side couldn’t recover.

At times, it was a pleasant game to watch, but the end result was anything but. Their quest is now to become the first ever side to qualify from the League Phase after losing their first three games.

Sam Johnstone – 6/10

Thrown back into the starting XI, Johnstone didn’t have too many shots on target to deal with in the first half, but he did what was required. His distribution was more composed, too — many of his long passes found a Celtic body rather than an empty space.

Unfortunately, the second half packed two surprises in quick succession which the Englishman was unable to prevent.

Colby Donovan – 6/10

Until the 70th minute, it was strong showing from Colby Donovan, whose consistency has pleasantly surprised us all this season. He was proactive on both sides of the ball. In the second, a few defensive miscalculations personified Celtic’s lack of composure.

Dane Murray – 7/10

Conversations have been had this week about whether we could finally be witnessing Dane Murray’s maturation into a starting Celtic centre-back.https://www.67hailhail.com/news/jim-duffy-names-two-things-holding-dane-murray-back-at-celtic-despite-martin-oneill-backing/ Once again, the 23-year-old looked like a defender who enjoys defending.

Strong in the air, confident on the ball and mobile enough to play in a high line, there’s no doubt that Murray has all the tools — but he rarely manages 90 minutes without a sloppy moment or two.

Liam Scales – 6/10

Alongside Murray, Scales dominated most of his aerial duels, but he’ll be frustrated with how Celta’s first goal came about. On the ball, he kept it simple.

Kieran Tierney – 7/10

It was a positive performance from Tierney in terms of attacking contribution. A dangerous first-half cross came close to picking out Duran. He won most of his duels, too.

Callum McGregor – 6/10

Celtic played some solid football in the first period, and the captain was involved in much of it — but by the second, the same old problems were beginning to arise when Celtic were attacking.

His failure to properly clear his lines gave Javi Rodriguez the chance to rocket the ball beyond Johnstone. It wasn’t the only moment when McGregor’s territory was breached.

Mika Baur – 7/10

Baur’s role in the team is solidified, and he gets the credit for popping up with another goal — but the team’s structural weaknesses out of possession were exposed after the break, and the German struggles to mitigate that.

Benjamin Nygren – 7/10

Nygren’s display demonstrated that he is much more than a goalscorer. His tidy, intricate play can help the team create centrally, and he demonstrated that at times tonight.

Callum Osmand – 8/10

Celtic’s new wing pairing has breathed new life into their attack, injecting intensity into their play. The raw pace and the positivity of Osmand has been central to this.

Unfortunately, unlike on Sunday when his contribution helped take the Hoops out of sight, Celtic paid the price for Osmand’s enforced withdrawal in the second half.

Camilo Duran – 7/10

Duran put a shift in tonight, but not everything came off. Noticeable was how he contested aerial duels up against Celta’s back three — he provided the team with an out-ball. Aside from his tidy link-up, however, there was little to work with.

Haissem Hassan – 8/10

Baur’s goal came from an outstanding burst from Hassan, and it wasn’t his only of the night. Familiar with the La Liga opposition, the Egyptian had the beating of Marcos Alonso for pace.

His mark would be higher if not for the question marks which remain over his out-of-possession contribution. You can’t hide without the ball for Celtic — Hassan does so too often. When it comes to one-vs-ones situations, though, he’s one of the most dangerous Hoops wingers in recent memory.