Celtic failed to take advantage of the good start they have made their Champions League group after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ajax. Celtic are in the same group containing the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, and Ajax. This makes them favourites to finish bottom of the group, but they have defied expectations by making a good start. The 1-0 defeat, though, ends any hope of the team qualifying to the last 16 stage, which they did in the unlikeliest of fashion last season. Lasse Schone scored the only goal of the game in this defeat for Celtic.
After the match, Lennon said that he is still confident of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition, but the Scottish need to achieve a famous win over AC Milan in order to do so. Italian club AC Milan are far from their glory days. They are also in a poor run of form since the start of the season, which has raised questions about the future of manager Massimiliano Allegri. Celtic’s next match in the Champions League will be used Milan after the international break. There is a chance that Allegri could be sacked this time, which will make Celtic as the favourites.
Lennon reckons that it will take only a win over Milan to change the dynamic of group.
“It’s an opportunity lost, but all is not lost. The whole thing could flip again if we beat Milan and Barcelona take something off Ajax. We have to beat Milan now,” said Lennon. “It’s imperative we do that to have any chance of qualification. I think some players will have regrets about the game tonight because they were nowhere near their best. At this level, you can’t have that,” said Lennon after the defeat against Ajax away from home.