Scottish Premiership champions Celtic lost 2-0 against La Liga outfit Valencia in their Europa League round of 32 clash on Thursday night.
Celtic might have another 90 minutes to play in Spain next week but it seems that their Europa League campaign has come to an end just halfway through their round of 32 tie with Valencia.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were outplayed in front of their own supporters by a canny and classy Valencia outfit, going down 2-0 at Parkhead thanks to goals from Denis Cheryshev and debutant Ruben Sobrino.
But maybe things could’ve been different had Celtic followed the advice of Charlie Nicholas before the game.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Celtic forward said The Hoops’ hopes depended on stopping one man – the influential midfielder Dani Parejo.
“Daniel Parejo is a creative and silky midfield player – Celtic must stop him,” he said.
“Celtic have to keep their heads and be patient for the right moments. If they can stop Parejo and be aggressive, then I can see something happening.”
As it transpired, Celtic failed to lay a glove on the one-time Spain international. Parejo only featured for 45 minutes but he was arguably the best player on the pitch in Glasgow, showcasing the vision and passing range that has made him one of La Liga’s most impressive midfielders in recent seasons.
It was his perfectly weighted through ball which set up Valencia’s opening goal on the stroke of half time and his intelligent, reliable distribution was far removed from the ragged performances of Scott Brown and Callum McGregor, who gave possession away at will.
Stopping Parejo is certainly easier said than done but Celtic really didn’t need to make it so easy for him.
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