By Sedara Oluwadara
Celtic’s hopes of Champions League progress are over after their profligacy was punished in a frustrating home defeat by RB Leipzig.
Matt O’Riley and Greg Taylor struck the woodwork in quick succession and Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi also passed up glaring chances for the opener.
Leipzig showed the ruthless edge Celtic lacked with late goals from Timo Werner and substitute Emil Forsberg.
It leaves the Scottish champions bottom with one point from four games.
But while a top-two finish is now beyond Celtic, their hopes of salvaging a Europa League place were boosted by Real Madrid’s late equaliser away to Shakhtar Donetsk, who are now four points ahead in third and visit Glasgow in a fortnight.
Celtic’s group-stage failings were encapsulated in a dizzying sequence midway through the first half.
O’Riley rattled the base of a post with a 20-yard strike and Taylor pounced on the loose ball only to scuff it on to the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Seconds later, Kyogo grazed the woodwork with a gilt-edged header from Sead Haksabanovic’s delivery.
Maeda had set the tone of frustration in the opening seconds, scooping an awkward header inches over, and wasteful finishing is ultimately what has condemned Celtic to an exit with two games to spare.
