Celtic v Braga: Ricardo Horta and Gabri Martinez score as Braga win Europa League clash

Celtic have suffered a disappointing home defeat in the Europa League after they lost 2-0 to Braga.

Ricardo Horta opened the scoring for the visitors with a powerful long-range shot after 20 minutes that beat Kasper Schmeichel.

Celtic thought they had drawn level when Kelechi Iheanacho burst through to score, only to have his strike controversially ruled out after a VAR review.

Gabri Martinez made sure of three points for Braga when a frantic clearance cannoned off him and into the net.

After a 1-1 draw against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on matchday one, Celtic were hoping to push on with two consecutive home games in the League Phase of the competition.

Brendan Rodgers had made changes to freshen up his side after the 0-0 draw with Hibs, and there was a boost after a planned silent protest by fans was shelved after supporter groups accepted an invitation to discuss their ongoing concerns with the Celtic board.

Any optimism was short-lived as Braga took control of the game from the early stages and Schmiechel personified an uncertainty in Celtic as he misplaced passes and allowed the visitors to press forward in pursuit of the opening goal.

They got it after 25 minutes when Horta let fly from around 35 yards and the Celtic goalkeeper seemed to misjudge the swerving shot and could only paw the ball into his own net.

The Dane did make important stops as Braga chased a second but Celtic were struggling to impose their own game on the Portuguese side and that forced Rodgers to reshape his side at the break.

Colby Donovan was replaced by Marcelo Saracchi and that allowed a move to a back three, with Kieran Tierney moving inside and Daizen Maeda moving to right wing-back.

The switch improved the hosts and though Braga had chances that called on Tierney and Liam Scales in particular to snuff out danger, Iheanacho was seeing more of the ball and Sebastian Tounekti put in a stand-out performance on the left wing.

Iheanacho got his chance, and took it, when he pounced on a ball through the middle and set himself before burying a low shot and the striker, along with most spectators, was astonished when a VAR review was signalled. The goal was ruled out for handball despite there appearing to be no evidence to back that decision on television replays.

After that disappointment, Celtic couldn’t create more clean-cut chances, and a tough position became unsalvageable when Schmeichel and then Scales thwarted Braga’s attempts on goal, only for Dane Murray’s attempted clearance to ricochet off Martinez for the second, decisive Braga goal.