DO OR DIRE

Only one answer as sorry Celts turn in rotten show

- MICHAEL GANNON AT CELTIC PARK

O'Neill will be fuming at the goals conceded to Stuttgart, given they were presented on a plate.

STUTTGART are known as Die Roten in their homeland... Celtic's defending against the Germans was plain rotten.

Martin O'Neill will not have to worry any more about a fixture pileup caused by a run in the Europa League.

The Hoops are sunk without a trace ahead of next week's playoff second-leg return after a calamitous night at Parkhead.

Angry Hoops fan lobbed tennis balls on to the pitch in protest against the board in the opening minute.

And the team made a balls up in the following 89.

Celts went toe to toe with the Bundesliga big guns in spells but were severely punished for defensive gaffes - with fingers pointed again at keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The big Dane lobbed in the opener after duffing his kick out and then failing to get down to keep out a dribbled drive from Bilal El Khannouss.

The on-loan Leicester star buried a free header to make it 2-1 after Benjamin Nygren briefly fired the Hoops level.

But the comeback hopes were hit when Jamie Leweling let fly from 25 yards and the ball bounced up and through Schmeichel again.

Stuttgart thought they had bagged a quickfire fourth when Ermedin Demirovic's classy chip was ruled out by VAR spotting a leg hair offside.

Celtic did rally a tad towards the end but struggled to test keeper Alexander Nubel as Stuttgart caused panic any time they pressed.