Callum McGregor ’embarrassed’ by Celtic defeat as Brendan Rodgers says refereeing ‘feels like a computer game’
Celtic’s hopes of progressing out of Group E into the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League are all but over after the Scottish champions were beaten 6-0 away to Atletico Madrid. Brendan Rodgers’ side fell behind early and then were forced to play the majority of the game with 10 men when Daizen Maeda was sent off. The result leaves Celtic bottom of the group on one point.
Callum McGregor admitted Celtic’s 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League was “embarrassing” as the 10-man Scottish champions were put to the sword in the Spanish capital.
Brendan Rodgers’ side fell behind in the sixth minute to Antoine Griezmann’s deflected shot, before things went from bad to worse when Daizen Maeda was sent off after the referee upgraded his yellow card to red following a review on the pitchside monitor.
That opened the floodgates as Atletico picked off their opponents at will to leave Celtic’s hopes of progressing from Group E in tatters.
McGregor described the experience as “humbling” in the aftermath and called on the team to ensure it didn’t happen again – Celtic also had a man sent off in the 2-2 draw in the home fixture against Atleti.
“Yeah, a really tough night for sure,” McGregor said, live on TNT Sports. “Embarrassing to lose and lose six goals. We have to learn, we have to learn quick, that has to be a one-off.
“We’ve now came to two away games and had men sent off in both games. This level is difficult enough 11-v-11 and that’s not to point fingers at anyone because I think all three of the challenges over the two games, there’s not been any malice in them.
“The threshold is so low for red cards, we have to adjust probably the way we’re defending. But we have to learn for that.
“Like I said, that’s two games in a row way for home we’ve gone down to 10 and then nine, and this level is too difficult to go play with 10 men or nine men and you see the massive quality there with the goals.”
Alvaro Morata doubled Atletico’s lead on the stroke of half-time before Griezmann notched his second in acrobatic fashion.
Substitute Samuel Lino made it 4-0 with the pick of the bunch and then turned provider for Morata’s second, before Saul Niguez capped off a truly miserable evening for Celtic, who remain rooted to the bottom of the group on one point.
McGregor praised Diego Simeone’s side for putting on a “clinic in how to play against 10 men” and said Celtic were paying the price for not picking up points at home.
“We’ve been unlucky in the home games not to get anything from it,” he added. “It looks a tough one now [to qualify], especially after that result.
“But yeah, the home games are the ones that you’re trying to target for points and we should have more points than what we do. But that’s a humbling experience for us. We played really well in the game two weeks ago but that’s a sore one for sure.”
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