Celtic’s Champions League hopes are remote after they slumped to the bottom of Group H with a 1-0 defeat by Ajax in Amsterdam last night.
Lasse Schone, who had scored for Ajax in the 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park, grabbed the winner with a well-taken goal in the 51st minute to sink the Scottish champions who were far from their best in what was a scrappy game.
The roof was closed and the Hoops’ hopes have caved in after this costly defeat.
Goalkeeper Fraser Forster strengthened his claim for an England cap with two good saves during a first-half bereft of quality and in which Neil Lennon’s men hardly threatened.
The game opened up after the break with Schone grabbing the winner just after Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal had missed a good chance for the visitors and before Anthony Stokes fluffed a great opportunity to level.
Celtic, whose Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk was immense, have three points with two games left.
Ajax move above them on four points with Barcelona having qualified following their 3-1 win against AC Milan at the Nou Camp.
Milan visit Celtic Park later this month before the Hoops travel to the Nou Camp in December to play Barcelona.
Celtic were boosted by the return of Georgios Samaras and Kris Commons who recovered from respective knee and hamstring injuries but captain Scott Brown and Nir Biton missed out through suspension.
Mikael Lustig took his place at right back with Kayal in at midfield.
Ajax coach Frank de Boer made three changes from the team which lost 2-1 in Glasgow.
Nicolai Boilesen, Davy Klaassen and Schone came in for Lucas Andersen, Christian Poulsen and Viktor Fischer, all of who started on the bench in a reshuffled line-up which smacked a little of desperation.
The decision to close the stadium roof had been taken during the day which meant the decibel level was raised to produce a great atmosphere.
The home side started brightly and in the sixth minute Forster made a good save from Stefano Denswil’s 25-yard free kick after Commons had fouled Daley Blind.
There was a penalty claim for Ajax moments later when right back Ricardo van Rhijn’s cross struck van Dijk but German referee Deniz Aytekin was unimpressed. In the 16th minute Forster came to the rescue again for Celtic when he pushed away a header from Siem de Jong.
Ajax were on top but there was enough slackness about their play to encourage the visitors who, however, were not helping themselves with the amount of dangerous free kicks they were conceding.
Four minutes into the second-half, after the Dutch side lost possession once more in attack, Kayal had an effort from the box but he blazed the ball well over the bar.
Celtic were made to pay for that moments later when Schone slipped the ball past Forster from 12 yards after working a one-two with Thulani Serero at the edge of the Hoops box.
Stokes had a chance to level in the 54th minute but his low drive was well saved by Jasper Cillesen.
At the other end, Schone’s in-swinging corner from the left was headed off the line by Emilio Izaguirre.
Celtic had an opportunity in the 67th minute when Klassen was penalised for an infringement but Commons drove his free kick straight at Cillesen.
Both sides continued to spurn good chances to create goalscoring opportunities, with Forster making a save from de Jong with five minutes remaining before Denswil’s header from a corner came off the post.