Celtic reduced to nine men in Champions League defeat to Feyenoord

Celtic had Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm sent off within five minutes of each other as they opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

Calvin Stengs gave Feyenoord the lead in first-half stoppage-time when his 30-yard free-kick evaded a poor attempt at a defensive wall.

Joe Hart saved a penalty after Lagerbielke received a second yellow card and substitute Holm soon got a straight red card in the 68th minute.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh got the home side’s second goal.

Centre-back Lagerbielke was one of two summer signings in the Celtic starting line-up with Nat Phillips ruled out by an ankle injury. The other, winger Luis Palma, made his first start for the club.

There was a lively atmosphere inside De Kuip for the first meeting between the teams since Feyenoord’s 1970 European Cup final triumph and the first Champions League game in the stadium for six seasons.

Celtic took the edge off the atmosphere with a positive start and Reo Hatate got the first shot on target after the Hoops won the ball high up the park, but his effort lacked power.

Celtic continued to look comfortable and could have made more of their possession had Hatate and Daizen Maeda been sharper on the ball at times.

The hosts rarely threatened to get in behind in the opening half hour and on the one occasion they did Alistair Johnston came across to cover.

Hatate’s pass got Matt O’Riley in behind but his ball towards Kyogo Furuhashi was cut out and Hart made his first save in the 34th minute when he pushed over Yankubah Minteh’s long-range strike.

Maeda broke away and saw a dangerous effort pushed wide despite being fouled in the act of shooting.

The Japan international was soon culpable for a counter-attack the other way