Roma Rip Through Celtic in First-Half Rout as Pressure Mounts on Nancy
Celtic endured a nightmare first half in their Europa League clash with Roma, conceding three times as Wilfried Nancy became the first manager in the club’s history to lose his opening two matches during an already tumultuous eight days in charge.
After Sunday’s Scottish Premiership defeat to Hearts in his debut match, Nancy’s woes deepened when Celtic fell behind early — Liam Scales accidentally heading into his own net from a corner. Things soon got worse as boyhood Celtic fan Evan Ferguson struck twice, effectively killing the game before half-time. Arne Engels then hit the post from the penalty spot in stoppage time, summing up the hosts’ chaotic display.
Roma’s fans mocked the situation with ironic cheers, while the Celtic supporters responded with boos as their team trudged off the pitch.
Although the Italians did not add to their tally in a quieter second half — with goals from Roma’s Leon Bailey and Celtic’s Kelechi Iheanacho both correctly disallowed — the damage was already done. The defeat puts Celtic’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage under real threat, leaving them clinging to a qualification spot with just two matches remaining.
Roma found alarming ease breaking through Celtic’s shape, helped by the home side’s constant turnovers and inability to handle the visitors’ aggressive press. The collapse started within six minutes, and Ferguson’s two quick goals exposed the gaping spaces left in the wide areas.
Nancy watched the disastrous opening period unfold with arms folded, making no tactical tweaks as his team unravelled. He eventually made three half-time changes — Tierney, Nygren and Maeda replaced by Donovan, Bernardo and Iheanacho — which brought some improvement. Celtic looked more dangerous and less vulnerable at the back, and Iheanacho briefly thought he’d scored before VAR ruled him marginally offside. Roma suffered a similar fate when Bailey’s finish was also chalked off.
Despite rotating several key players — including Cristante, Pellegrini, Tsimikas, Kone, Dybala and Wesley — Roma still strolled to victory, adding to their recent 2–0 win over Rangers in Glasgow.
Analysis: Nancy’s gamble backfires, Roma punish mistakes
Nancy urgently needs significant improvements if he’s to steady Celtic’s season. His decision to stick with the same lineup that lost to Hearts backfired spectacularly, producing one of Celtic’s poorest first-half performances in recent memory. Three soft goals, multiple other chances conceded, reliance on a big Kasper Schmeichel save, and even a missed penalty — it was a brutal 45 minutes.
His insistence on a 3-4-3 system with only three recognised defenders has yielded nothing but problems. Asking wingers like Yang Hyun-Jun and Sebastian Tounekti to serve as the last line of defence out wide is proving unsustainable. If Nancy is testing his players’ resilience, several have failed the exam.
Roma were superior across the pitch, and considering their bench was stacked with first-team stars, the result could have been even more grim.
This defeat is a harsh lesson for Nancy, who now faces a steep learning curve. Celtic have suffered two heavy defeats in two huge home games, and tensions are rising among supporters who are becoming increasingly frustrated with the club’s leadership.
As Sunday’s League Cup final against St Mirren approaches, confidence around Parkhead is low. Nancy now faces a crucial decision: make changes and try to spark a reaction, or stay the course and risk a disastrous start turning into a crisis. The outcome could decide whether he lifts his first trophy — or finds himself dealing with the fallout from a disastrous first week in charge.