Celtic: Were They Victims of VAR or Just Outplayed in Braga Defeat?

Major Controversy Over Disallowed Goal

Kelechi Iheanacho described the referee’s decision to rule out his second-half goal as “terrible.” His teammate, Sebastian Tounekti, referred to it as “absurd,” while former Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart deemed it “ridiculous.” Manager Brendan Rodgers lamented a “crucial moment” when Celtic saw this potentially equalizing goal scrapped during their match against Sporting Braga.

The Nigerian striker appeared to have leveled the score with a left-footed shot into the far corner after evading a lackluster defensive effort. However, after a lengthy VAR review, referee Tobias Stieler made the controversial decision to disallow the goal for a supposed handball, despite replays suggesting that the ball had struck Iheanacho’s face instead.

“I did not touch the ball with my hand, and that changed everything,” Iheanacho remarked. With excellent saves from Braga’s goalkeeper, Lukas Hornicek, Celtic’s frustration only intensified.

Celtic’s Own Mistakes Contribute to the Loss

While the VAR decision dominated discussions, Celtic’s own shortcomings cannot be overlooked. In the 20th minute, a long-range shot from Ricardo Horta slipped past Kasper Schmeichel, who fumbled the effort and fell to the ground as Braga celebrated the opening goal. A miscommunication in the second half resulted in a deflected clearance by Dane Murray, which ended up in the net.

On offense, the lack of potency persisted, as last season’s leading scorer, Daizen Maeda, found himself playing at right wing-back. This defeat marked the fifth time in just twelve matches this season that Celtic failed to score, matching the total for the entirety of last season.

Is it overly simplistic to credit the disallowed goal as the reason for Celtic’s misfortune, or were they simply outperformed by a Braga team currently positioned seventh in the Primeira Liga?

Assessment from the Celtic Camp

In a post-match analysis, Rodgers shifted to a back three during halftime to ignite a spark in his squad, moving Maeda deeper and bringing in Marcelo Saracchi for Colby Donovan. This adjustment yielded some improvements, and when Iheanacho scored, it seemed Celtic was gaining momentum.

Yet, that momentum quickly diminished due to the lengthy VAR examination, which left many—including former Celtic keeper Joe Hart—confounded. “It feels like the VAR is ruining the flow. To me, the ball hit his head,” Hart stated during the broadcast. “What could be taking so long? This is beyond rational. It seems like a horrendous internet connection is to blame for this delay.”

With the decision to disallow the goal rendered, Celtic players—like Tounekti—expressed their bewilderment. “It was not a handball at all; it’s astonishing that could be ruled out,” he stated. “I truly believe if that goal stood, we would have won comfortably.”

Manager Brendan Rodgers shared similar sentiments, emphasizing that the call had a significant impact on the match’s outcome.

Braga’s Justified Victory

While the VAR debacle overshadowed part of the match, Schmeichel’s error served as a pivotal moment that favored Braga. Despite the low expected-goals value of Horta’s shot at 0.027, the experienced Danish goalkeeper failed to make the save.

“He’ll certainly be upset with that,” Rodgers reflected. “It was a decent shot that might have moved a bit, but I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with him yet.”

In addition to Schmeichel’s blunder, Celtic has struggled offensively all season. Maeda is being deployed out of position to accommodate Tounekti, and various midfield arrangements have repeatedly failed to create scoring opportunities. Celtic’s recent performances are concerning, with multiple matches lacking a goal.

Supporters voiced concerns over the team’s lack of summer transfer activity amid these struggles. The team’s downward trend traces back to February when they were eliminated from the Champions League after a competitive run against Bayern Munich. Since then, Celtic has won only 12 of their last 27 matches across competitions.

“In general, it was a subpar performance from Celtic,” commented former Scotland forward James McFadden. “It lacked the quality we’ve come to expect from this club. While changing tactics helped somewhat, Braga rightfully earned the win.”

Strategies failing to yield goals paired with defensive slip-ups often lead to disappointing results. Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner echoed similar thoughts, noting, “The team exhibited insufficient aggression; they maintained possession well but lacked purpose in the final third. Defensively, they were absent, with Schmeichel making significant mistakes.”