Nine-man Celtic fall to Feyenoord 

Not since 2017 had the red and whites of Rotterdam been part of a Champions League group game and it was the same on a personal level for Brendan  Rodgers.

DUTCH DISASTER: Feyenoord's Calvin Stengs, second left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Champions League Group E soccer match between Feyenoord and Celtic. Pic: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

Feyenoord 2 Celtic 0  

A triumphant Champions League return after six years away was always on the cards for someone. Unfortunately for Brendan Rodgers two red cards in the space of five second-half minutes minutes made sure it was Feyenoord rather than him.

Not since 2017 had the red and whites of Rotterdam been part of a Champions League group game and it was the same on a personal level for Rodgers.

Celtic's penchant for self-destruction on the European stage remains uncured however and the Irishman's second coming at the top table was doomed by red cards for first Gustaf Lagerbielke and then substitute Odin Holm.

Joe Hart won't forget this one either. The former England keeper was beaten by Calvin Steng's hopeful free-kick in first half stoppage time but made partial amends by saving Igor Paixao's spot-kick at 1-0.

Lagerbielke had been shown a second yellow for conceding that and Holm went soon after for a reckless challenge yet somehow the game remained in the balance when Lutsharel Geertruida's clever finish was ruled out by VAR.

But luck ran out for the nine who remained when Feyenoord substitute Alireza Jahanbakhsh clinched victory in the 76th minute.

The Brendan era part two had been going swimmingly beforehand, with the Hoops top of the Premiership pile and Rangers trailing St Mirren and Motherwell as well as their city rivals. The Champions League was always going to be a different animal however and Celtic still have still just one group stage win since a 3-0 success at Anderlecht In September 2017 when Rodgers was at the helm.

Ange Postecoglou's replacement made three changes to the team that beat Dundee at the weekend, with Luis Palma handed a surprise first start instead of Yang Hyun-jun.

Lagerbielke, another summer signing, replaced the injured Nat Phillips, while Reo Hatate was chosen ahead of David Turnbull.

The hosts, lacking the prolific Santiago Gimenez through suspension and fellow forward Ayase Ueda through injury, survived an early scare when Daizen Maeda was played in by Matt O'Riley and seemed to have been fouled in the act of shooting wide.

The energetic Hoops continued to dictate, with Hatate seizing on errors. His first attempt was tame and his second blocked however.

Palma suffered a bloody nose in a clash that left him dazed and Celtic survived a VAR check after Greg Taylor diverted a shot from Newcastle loanee Yankuba Minteh over the bar via an arm.

A yellow card for Lagerbielke added to fears that Celtic nerves at the back might be exposed eventually by hosts whose previous three domestic outings had been two 6-1 wins and a 5-1.

Sure enough, Hart, in his 45th Champions League outing, had to tip over a fierce Minteh drive but it wasn't long before Maeda forced home keeper Timon Wellenreuther into his first tricky save of the night.

Parity at the break would have been just but seconds before the whistle Hart was beaten by a low free-kick from 30 yards that he really should have saved. Steng's shot was not stopped by the wall and Hart - perhaps initially stationed too near his right-hand post - could only help it into the other side of the net on the bounce.

The hosts, boosted by the gift, began the second period with intent but Palma soon forced Wellenreuther into another save before returning to tumble in the box that excited Hoops fans but not the officials.

Palma had been lively but was one of two Celtic men to be hooked around the hour mark. Hatate was the other, with Yang and Holm coming on.

Suddenly, in the 63rd minute, the contest lurched into chaos. Lagerbielke was shown a second yellow for putting an arm across Paixao in the box and had to walk, although a dollop of justice was instantly served when the Brazilian's unconvincing spot-kick was saved by Hart.

Holm's straight red, for a high challenge, came straight after and it was not long before the Hoops were caught out by a free-kick move and Geertruida dinked home before being fingered for offside by VAR.

Jahanbakhsh, the former Brighton forward, latched on to a headed clearance to lash home a clinching second and there was still time for Feyenood to add another, through substitute Ondrej Lingr, and VAR to chalk it off, correctly, for offside.

At least Lazio and Atletico Madrid cancelled themselves out elsewhere in the group and Celtic can have another crack against a Feyenoord side unlikely to trouble either, and maybe nick third spot. Early days of course - but it looks that way already.

Feyenoord (4-2-3-1): Wellenreuther 7; Geertruida 7, Trauner 7, Hancko 7, Hartman 7; Wieffer 6, Timber 7 (Zerrouki 73); Paixao 6, Stengs 8, Ivanusec 6 (Sauer 89); Minteh 7 (Lingr 68, 5).

Celtic (4-3-3): Hart 6; A Johnston 7, Lagerbielke 5, Scales 7, Taylor 6; O'Riley 7 (Bernardo 82), McGregor 6, Hatate 6 (Holm 58, 0); Maeda 6 (Oh 82), Furuhashi 6 (Iwata 67, 4), Palma 6 (Yang 58, 5).

Referee: Irfan Peljto 6