In a match that ended in a 2-0 defeat for the bhoys, Joe Hart’s performance was a rollercoaster of emotions. The 36-year-old goalkeeper found himself under scrutiny for both commendable and questionable moments. While he managed to partly redeem himself with a crucial penalty save—his first for Celtic—the free kick he conceded to Feyenoord has ignited a heated debate among fans and pundits alike.
The second half of the match proved to be chaotic for Celtic. Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm were both sent off, leaving the team in a difficult position. The second goal came from Feyenoord substitute Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the 76th minute, adding insult to injury.
When asked about the free kick, Joe Hart was forthright in his assessment, telling SunSport. “It was a terrible time to lose the first goal but that’s this level. It’s quick, sharp and there’s lots going on,” he said. Hart continued, “There were a few factors at the free-kick but I’ll look at my position. As the keeper, I want to be saving those. The ball skipped up, it was curling away. A guy ran across Kyogo in the wall and it affected him. It was a perfect storm for them and it went in.”
Celtic’s Matt O’Riley in action with Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
The debate continues: was it Hart’s positioning or the wall’s setup that was at fault? While Hart could perhaps have done better, the wall also had its shortcomings. A player running across Kyogo disrupted the wall’s integrity, contributing to the “perfect storm” that Hart described.
Hart’s mixed performance serves as a reminder that even the most experienced players can have off moments. However, his later penalty save shows his resilience and ability to bounce back, qualities that are essential for any Celtic player. As the team regroups, both Hart and his teammates will undoubtedly be looking to learn from this experience, aiming to strengthen their defence against dead-ball situations in future matches.
Celtic don’t have time to dwell on the game too much, with a challenging away fixture against Livingston coming up on Saturday.
Im happy with hart in goalkeeping position hes right pwrfect storm but looked untroubled till celtic went down to 10 nen and saved us from going to down 2-0 justice seen player hwhi took kick same wee player that that was in agony till penalty awarded i hope that penalty caused them in dec when celtic take three of them and they all stare at him feneyord against 9 men they should have scored more that will irked them when they come to Celtic park not to good away from home in europe that was first serious team they have played 2032 in europe abd Celtic had so many to players out hooefully the will be full strength and our new players have settled