Neil Lennon didn’t mince his words when discussing Celtic’s disappointing performance against Borussia Dortmund. The former Hoops player and manager was clearly frustrated by the team’s lackluster display, particularly in defense. While he acknowledged the quality of Dortmund as an opponent, Lennon felt that Celtic did not do enough to compete and make the game more challenging for their German counterparts.
After a promising start that saw Daizen Maeda equalize Emre Can’s penalty, Celtic’s performance quickly unraveled due to defensive mistakes. Karim Adeyemi capitalized on these errors to score a first-half hat-trick, while Serhou Guirassy and Felix Nmecha also found the back of the net. The result was a humbling 7-1 defeat for the Scottish champions, a result that Lennon did not shy away from criticizing.
In his post-match comments to TNT Sports, Lennon highlighted Celtic’s passivity, lack of physicality, and failure to adapt their tactics in response to Dortmund’s strengths. He called for a more proactive approach from the players, urging them to be more assertive and forceful in their play. Lennon emphasized the need for the team to learn quickly from this experience and develop a more resilient mindset when facing top opposition.
While Lennon refrained from directly blaming manager Brendan Rodgers for the defeat, he stressed the importance of the players taking responsibility on the field. He praised Rodgers’ coaching abilities but emphasized that the players must also step up and perform to their best ability. Lennon pointed out missed opportunities to utilize the pace of players like Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda, instead opting for a passive approach that played into Dortmund’s hands.
Overall, Lennon’s comments reflected his disappointment with Celtic’s performance and his belief that the team must improve quickly in order to compete at the highest level. As a former Celtic player and manager, Lennon’s passion for the club was evident in his critique of their lackluster display against Dortmund.
