Champions League Qualifying - 2nd Leg
CelticCeltic0NK MariborNK Maribor1

Celtic 0-1 NK Maribor (agg 1-2)

By Alasdair LamontSenior football reporter, BBC Scotland at Celtic Park
Maribor celebrate the goal from Marcos Tavares
Maribor are in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 1999

Celtic produced another below-par European performance as they were dumped out of the Champions League.

The home side were heavy favourites to progress, having come back from Slovenia with a 1-1 draw last week.

But they barely tested visiting goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic in their biggest game of the season.

And Maribor captain Marcos Tavares forced a shot past Craig Gordon on 75 minutes to end hopes of a third successive year in the group stage.

The defeat is a huge blow to Celtic, who will miss out on the £14m they earned in the competition last season as well as the glamour and excitement that accompanies Champions League nights.

The Europa League is scant consolation for Ronny Deila, though after the good fortune that took them past Legia Warsaw by default, there can be little complaint.

Legia crushed Celtic 6-1 on aggregate in previous qualifying round but the Scottish champions were reinstated because the Poles fielded a suspended player in the last few minutes of the second leg.

The Celtic manager and board will come under criticism for a failure to negotiate the qualifying stages successfully, particularly after that earlier reprieve.

The hosts had had ample warning before the solitary goal was scored, but they failed to clear their box and when Ales Mertelj's shot was blocked, Tavares did brilliantly to scoop the ball over Gordon, who was left clawing at air.

Virgil van Dijk saw his stoppage-time shot well saved
Virgil van Dijk saw his stoppage-time shot well saved

Efe Ambrose, who had almost gifted Jean-Philippe Mendy a second, clattered a header just wide of the post from close range, but that was as close as Celtic came to an equaliser until the final moments when Virgil van Dijk looked on in disbelief as Handanovic superbly saved his stoppage-time shot from eight yards.

A Callum McGregor effort, which came back off the crossbar, marked Celtic's best period in the match, at the start of the second period, following Kris Commons' introduction for Beram Kayal.

But, having seen off a first-half storm, Celtic could not make their spell of dominance tell.

Although they seldom found any fluency in the opening 45 minutes, Celtic could easily have been in front early on when Jo Inge Berget's cross was diverted inches wide of his own goal by Marko Suler.

And, even in the midst of the heavy first-half pressure from Maribor, Van Dijk should have done better than head wide from an Anthony Stokes corner.

Both chances came against the run of play, with Agim Ibraimi and Zeljko Filipovic dictating for the visitors.

For all their possession the team in purple only occasionally threatened Gordon, with Mitja Viler forcing a nervous-looking save, which came back off Tavares and, fortunately for the keeper, back into his arms.

But Tavares and Maribor were to have the last word, as Deila and Celtic count the cost of failure.

Line-ups

Celtic

Formation 4-5-1

  • 26Gordon
  • 4Ambrose
  • 3Izaguirre
  • 21Mulgrew
  • 23LustigSubstituted forBoerrigterat 72'minutesBooked at 89mins
  • 5van DijkBooked at 88mins
  • 42McGregor
  • 25Johansen
  • 10Stokes
  • 33KayalSubstituted forCommonsat 45'minutesBooked at 48mins
  • 16BergetSubstituted forMatthewsat 66'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Matthews
  • 6Bitton
  • 11Boerrigter
  • 15Commons
  • 22Denayer
  • 24Zaluska
  • 28Griffiths

NK Maribor

Formation 4-2-2-2

  • 33Handanovic
  • 30StojanovicBooked at 79mins
  • 28Viler
  • 70Mertelj
  • 26RajcevicBooked at 54mins
  • 4SulerBooked at 52mins
  • 22VrsicSubstituted forBoharat 83'minutes
  • 5Filipovic
  • 9Morales TavaresBooked at 85minsSubstituted forDervisevicat 90+2'minutes
  • 14Mendy
  • 10Ibraimi

Substitutes

  • 1Cotman
  • 7Mejac
  • 8Sallalich
  • 11Zahovic
  • 21Dervisevic
  • 39Bohar
  • 44Bordignon
Referee:
Viktor Kassai

Match Stats

Home TeamCelticAway TeamNK Maribor
Possession
Home47%
Away53%
Shots
Home14
Away10
Shots on Target
Home2
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away4
Fouls
Home13
Away13

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Celtic 0, NK Maribor 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Celtic 0, NK Maribor 1.

  3. Post update

    Aleksandar Rajcevic (NK Maribor) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Derk Boerrigter (Celtic).

  5. Post update

    Offside, NK Maribor. Jasmin Handanovic tries a through ball, but Agim Ibraimi is caught offside.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Callum McGregor with a cross.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, NK Maribor. Amir Dervisevic replaces Marcos Tavares.

  8. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Matthews.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Jean Philippe Mendy (NK Maribor).

  10. Post update

    Derk Boerrigter (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Booking

    Derk Boerrigter (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  12. Post update

    Jean Philippe Mendy (NK Maribor) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Derk Boerrigter (Celtic).

  14. Booking

    Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  15. Post update

    Petar Stojanovic (NK Maribor) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Marcos Tavares (NK Maribor) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Damjan Bohar with a through ball.

  18. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  19. Post update

    Delay in match Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic) because of an injury.

  20. Booking

    Marcos Tavares (NK Maribor) is shown the yellow card.

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Tuesday 26th August 2014

  • CelticCeltic0NK MariborNK Maribor1
  • Zenit St PetersburgZenit St Petersburg3Standard LiegeStandard Liege0
  • Apoel NicosiaApoel Nicosia4Aalborg BKAalborg BK0
  • BATE BorisovBATE Borisov3Slovan BratislavaSlovan Bratislava0
  • FC PortoFC Porto2LilleLille0