Dutch press deliver Celtic verdict with praise for 'smooth' trio in defeat to Feyenoord

Despite the defeat, the Dutch press had some complimentary words for Brendan Rodgers' side with De Telegraaf writing: "The Celtic team showed from the first minute that it had Champions League experience. Mats Wieffer and Quinten Timber were put to the test, the Brazilian Paixao was on the chain for the first half hour and the other attackers, Ivanusec and Minteh, who played for Santiago Gimenez, were hardly involved."

They also detailed how the sprinkler system at De Kuip was turned on before kick-off, despite it raining most of the day in Rotterdam, and how the wet underfoot conditions may have played a part in the opening goal as Stengs’ 30-yard free-kick skidded past Hart.

"But lo and behold, just before half time there was suddenly the benefit of that slippery and wet billiard cloth. Calvin Stengs was allowed to take a free kick from about 26 meters, and he had the gift of not wanting to chase it high into the top corner, but to blast it past Celtic keeper Joe Hart with a 'crooked' bounce. No one in the atmospheric and sold-out Kuip saw the goal coming, and neither did the former goalkeeper of the English national team. But at this level, one chance, one goal is sometimes enough to achieve a top result.”

Dutch football magazine Voetbal International described how Celtic "shot themselves in the foot" after a “difficult first half” for Feyenoord, while daily newspaper Volkskrant singled out three Celtic players for praise. "Added to the swirling wind and the veils of rain, a game of turbulent football took place, with many losses of the ball, and with defenses that constantly had to watch out for the speed of the attackers. The trio of Japanese at Celtic, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Matata, in particular looked smooth and threatening."