A bitter week for Celtic – superfan Rod suffers second derby defeat in seven days

When Sir Rod arrived at Celtic Park in Glasgow on Sunday afternoon with his son Aiden and entered the stadium, a smile of optimism still flickered across his face.

In the end, only the most die-hard fans could bear to watch. Even in the VIP box, where Rod sat in his usual seat, no one could comprehend what was happening on the pitch at Celtic Park.

With the 0-1 (0-1) defeat against arch-rivals Rangers, Celtic Football Club not only suffered their second consecutive defeat in the traditional Glasgow derby, but also their third loss in seven days.

Last Sunday, the Bhoys were eliminated in the League Cup quarter-finals after a 0-3 loss to Rangers at Green, and on Thursday, the Hoops also botched their opening UEFA Europa League match against Ferencvaros Budapest, losing 1-3.

Dark clouds are definitely gathering over Paradise. Ultimately, it's not the defeats themselves that are the problem – these things can always happen in a derby and on the international stage. It's more about the way the team has presented itself in recent matches; there was no fightback, no structure in their play. The Hoops lacked the team cohesion needed to extricate themselves from dangerous situations.

On Sunday, striker Ryan Naderi put Rangers ahead in the 33rd minute. From Celtic fans' perspective, there was still plenty of time to turn the game around. But the men in the green and white striped jerseys barely got a foothold in the match. While Kieran Tierney hit the crossbar with a long-range shot, and a potential goal by Auston Trusty was disallowed for offside, the home side offered little more than that. Even new signing Kasper Høgh, who came on after halftime, was essentially irrelevant in the game and rarely posed a threat to the Rangers' goal.

Disappointment spread through Celtic Park, and several fans left their seats minutes before the final whistle. Rod's pre-match smile had long since vanished, and he stared down at the pitch from the stands, stunned.

When referee John Beaton blew the final whistle after five minutes of added time, the stadium emptied in a flash.

Despite their first Premiership defeat of the season, Celtic still hold onto first place, but today's victory has brought Rangers within two points of the defending champions. During the upcoming international break, Celtic FC will need to lick their wounds and quickly rediscover the form they showed in the early stages of the season.