Celtic rival Rangers for unwanted Champions League record as stats paint grim picture

While Celtic competed well and more than matched Feyenoord during an even first half, a familiar tale emerged as they conceded a soft goal to a Calvin Stengs free-kick just seconds before the half-time whistle.

The second half descended into farce following the two sending offs, and while Joe Hart saved a penalty from Igor Paixao, there was no denying the Dutch champions a second when Alireza Jahanbakhsh slammed home on 76 minutes.

While Celtic managed to limit the damage any further, the defeat has left the Scottish champions with an unenviable Champions League record.

The Parkhead outfit have now lost 58.9 per cent of their Champions League games – 43 out of 73 – which, according to the BBC, is the highest ratio of any side with at least 50 games played in the history of the competition. They have also kept just one clean sheet in their 37 Champions League away games, conceding 89 goals.

It is now six years since Celtic – or any Scottish side – won a group stage match in UEFA’s elite competition, the 3-0 win away to Anderlecht on September 27, 2017 being the last occasion that Celtic picked up three points at this level.

In last 10 years the record of Scottish clubs in the Champions League group stages is two wins, five draws and 24 defeats.

Just six of those matches involved Rangers – all defeats – in what was their first appearance in the tournament in 11 years last season. The Ibrox side scored just twice and conceded 22 goals to leave them with the unwanted tag of being the worst ever side to compete in the Champions League.

It leaves both Celtic and Rangers with unwanted Champions League records to their name – statistics which paint a grim picture for Scottish football’s two biggest clubs at the top level of European competition.