Baur Acknowledges Celtic's European Struggles, Remains Hopeful for Turnaround

Celtic midfielder Mika Baur has acknowledged the team's recent struggles in European competition, admitting that the mounting statistics are difficult to ignore. However, he remains confident that the club can turn their fortunes around.

"We lost three games," Baur stated after a 2-1 home defeat to Celta Vigo. "What should I tell you? Maybe it’s like that at the moment. But I believe in us that we can turn it around absolutely and do better against Besiktas in two weeks. I don’t believe that we are not capable but, at the moment, maybe it looks like that."

The recent loss to the Spanish side followed a familiar pattern: being outplayed in the first half, conceding the first goal after the interval, and then losing momentum after the opposition equalized. This sequence has led to the accusation that the team is incapable of competing at a higher level.

Baur's opening goal against Celta Vigo, which came after he had also netted against Ferencvaros, offered little consolation. "Very disappointing for this to happen for the second time," he reflected. "I think it was an open first half, it was fine. Maybe they controlled it a bit more, but everything was okay. Then we had a great 15 minutes in the second half and we scored. We got the control, we played really, really well with the ball. But they scored and the momentum switched and we were not capable to switch it again."

Celtic currently sits at the bottom of their group with zero points and a goal difference of minus six. With upcoming matches against Besiktas, Marseille, and Union SG, accumulating the necessary points to progress appears challenging.

Despite the difficult position, Baur maintains a sense of hope. "What else should I think? Yeah, sure," he insisted. "We have five games ahead, so it’s not getting any easier because we lost again. But, yes, five games with 15 points to play for, so what else?"

Looking ahead, Celtic's immediate task is to bounce back in their domestic league. Following their European defeat, they are set to face Hibernian. The team aims to replicate their previous performance after a European loss, where they secured three league points.

Baur noted the short turnaround between European matches and domestic fixtures as a potential positive. "There is no time. Maybe that’s the good point — here’s no time. The next game is on Sunday. We can be disappointed on Thursday night, the next day we do regeneration. But then, by Saturday, the focus is all on Hibs. So, maybe that’s the good thing, to play every three days."

Despite Hibernian's poor start to the season, Baur cautioned against complacency. "Not treat them like a European game, but if you’re not doing it, it’s not possible to win. It’s like that. It’s easy. If you’re not treating them like a real good opponent, it’s not possible to win that game. European football is much more difficult, for sure. But we’ve had really, really tough games in the league as well. It’s not getting easier to go away and play St Mirren, St Johnstone or whoever. We should move on in the league, be confident, like we did last Sunday."

Baur, who joined Celtic for £4.5 million in the summer, has scored four goals so far, with half of them coming in European matches. He believes he has more to offer. "I try to do my best all the time. I try to help the team by scoring and hopefully deliver a few assists as well in the next games. But firstly, it’s Callum (McGregor’s) and my job in the midfield to control it. We did a few times really well, a few times not. So, it’s on us to do that. But personally, I feel more confident for sure in the last weeks."