Ange Postecoglou insists it's only half-time as Celtic's hopes of a European run suffered a major blow with a 3-1 home defeat against Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The visitors' league season does not kick off until April but it was Celtic who looked out of sorts in the first leg of the Europa Conference League knockout round play-off.
Goals early in each half from Runar Espejord and Amahl Pellegrino put the visitors in command and Celtic conceded two minutes after Daizen Maeda had headed a 79th-minute lifeline.
Hugo Vetlesen's deflected effort gives Celtic a mountain to climb when they head to the Arctic Circle next week.
Celtic came up against opponents who arrived in Glasgow ready to play their hosts at their own game.
Like Postecoglou, visiting boss Kjetil Knutsen started with three forwards supported by two attacking midfielders while his team were prepared to build from the back and press high up the park.
The visitors had not played a competitive game since December 12 and had lost players to the likes of Krasnodar, Lens, Hertha Berlin and Schalke since clinching their second consecutive Norwegian title.
But they made a flying start and Joe Hart had already made saves before Espejord, a new signing from Heerenveen, slotted home inside seven minutes to begin the scoring.
Maeda had Celtic's best two openings of the first half but little worked on the night for the hosts, who started with attacking midfielders Tom Rogic and Matt O'Riley.
But Postecoglou is not ready to concede.
"It's only half-time so there's another game to go and we'll go and play our football and see what we do," said the former Socceroos boss.
"We've just got to go there and play our football again. We've scored goals away in tough places so it's a good challenge for us."
Knutsen was full of praise for his players.
"It was a really good performance," he said. "You have to remember we are still in pre-season.
"It was a hard game because against this team you have to be smart with your defending. If you give Celtic space you are in big trouble. We closed off the space inside."
In England, Leicester City scored three times in the second half to beat Randers 4-1.
Wilfred Ndidi (23rd), Harvey Barnes (49th), Patson Daka (54th) and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (74th) were on the scoresheet for Brendan Rodgers's men while Vito Hammershey-Mistrati (45th) netted for the Danish visitors.
There were also wins for Marseille over Qarabag FK (3-1) and PSV, who beat M. Tel-Aviv 1-0.
Australian Associated Press
