As Celtic skipper Callum McGregor swept home inside the opening exchanges on Tuesday night, it looked unfathomable that the evening would end in disappointment, with the Scottish champions four goals clear in the tie.
There was a zip and energy to the away side’s performance initially, the men in green and white looking to have learned their lesson following the debacle against Kairat a year earlier.
The manner in which things subsequently unravelled truly was remarkable, with Celtic’s experienced heads, McGregor aside, seemingly wilting against their rampant hosts.
Once again, the 33-year-old has had to front up following an abject performance from the Glasgow side in Europe, with supporters at least able to take comfort in the fact that the long-serving star remains front and centre.
McGregor remains Celtic’s main man – but he needs help
McGregor’s frank assessment following the humbling midweek loss was yet another indication of just what a leader he is, the former Scotland man saying it how it is, not sugarcoating a desperately poor display.
Viral footage had shown the skipper keeping the likes of Auston Trusty and Kasper Hogh in check following the prior win away at Kilmarnock, with the midfielder having been around long enough to know just how quickly the mood can change at Parkhead.
Even for all the new signings, all the positivity, it does feel as if plenty still rests on his shoulders, with McGregor looking round to see the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kieran Tierney forced off as the ship began to sink in Linz.
Baur & McGregor – vs LASK | ||
|---|---|---|
Baur | Stat | McGregor |
71 | Minutes | 120 |
40 | Touches | 126 |
83% | Pass accuracy | 93% |
1 | Key passes | 1 |
1/1 | Succ. dribbles | 1/1 |
6 | Possession lost | 12 |
9 | Carries | 39 |
2 | Recoveries | 9 |
0/1 | Tackles | 3/3 |
2/4 | Total duels won | 5/7 |
0 | Dribbled past | 2 |
Celtic’s number 42 had himself been a shining light on the night, and not just because of his early effort, boasting a stellar 93% pass accuracy from 126 total touches, while winning 100% of his tackles and five of his seven ground duels.
Such a performance was in stark contrast to those around him, substitute Luke McCowan offering little support, in particular, after losing the ball 21 times from just 44 touches off the bench.
The make-up of the midfield simply didn’t work on this occasion, with McGregor almost left to his own devices as Mika Baur went AWOL ahead of him, with the introduction of McCowan and Reo Hatate doing little to change the dynamic.
The decision to sell Arne Engels before the tie certainly backfired, with McGregor in need of a fresh face to replace the Belgian’s mobility and athleticism in midfield.
How Celtic can sign McGregor’s perfect partner
New man Baur, signed on a £6.8m deal, looks like a real find, but Tuesday exposed his physical flaws, the young German more in the Hatate mould than a potential replacement for Engels.
Of course, the absence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn’t help proceedings, but as Martin O’Neill looked to his bench to try and wrestle back control in midfield, there wasn’t an obvious solution.
The fear will be that having seen their Champions League hopes dashed, any imminent deals could well have to be parked, the Hoops almost back to square one in that sense.
According to reports in Poland, however, it does still look as if a move for Hajduk Split star, Niko Sigur, is heading in the right direction at least, with the Canadian’s move to Glasgow said to have ‘been agreed upon’.
The fee involved is said to be around €4m (£3m), plus bonuses, with prior reports indicating that the 22-year-old was keen on heading to Parkhead, joining his international colleague Alistair Johnston at the club.
While Sigur might well be a short-term replacement for Johnston at right-back, he is a defensive midfielder by trade, seemingly the man who can provide some much-needed support and protection for McGregor in the centre of the park.
In manager Jesse Marsch’s view, he was Canada’s “best player on the pitch” in the defeat to Morocco at the World Cup, having lined up in the centre of the park on that occasion, as Johnston remained at right-back.
His versatility and flexibility is such a bonus, while his ability to operate at full-back has highlighted what he offers in a defensive sense, hence why he could be the perfect screen in front of the back four.
McGregor, for all his quality, just can’t cover the ground quite so effectively these days, as was seen by the fact that he was dribbled past on two occasions on Tuesday night.
The experienced Scot needs someone to do his dirty work, and Sigur would surely relish the responsibility, the £3m star notably ending last season having averaged 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, while winning five duels in total per game.
That record actually eclipses Engels’ record in the Premiership across 2025/26, the new West Ham United man averaging just 1.5 and 2.9 for those same two metrics, respectively.
Sigur wouldn’t prove a liability in possession either alongside the Celtic skipper, having also boasted a 90% pass accuracy rate in the Croatian top-flight last year, again ahead of Engels’ 83% average.
The Canadian might not be a creative, attacking force, but Celtic don’t need him to be, particularly if Benjamin Nygren is to remain in that advanced midfield role.
O’Neill’s team just desperately needs a sense of balance again in the centre of the park, with Sigur seemingly the man to provide that alongside McGregor.
