Elena Sadiku pulled no punches after Celtic’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hearts, branding it the “worst performance” she’s witnessed from her side.
The loss sees Celtic fall six points adrift of league leaders Rangers and five behind second-placed Glasgow City. Hearts, meanwhile, climb into third place, adding to the pressure on Sadiku’s side.
The Celtic boss struggled to explain why her team performed so poorly, with the defeat coming just days after their 2-1 loss to FC Twente in the Champions League opener.
Celtic now face a daunting trip to Spain to play Real Madrid on Thursday, leaving Sadiku no time to dwell on the setback.
Kayla Jardine’s decisive first-half goal came via a deflection off Maria McAneny, wrong-footing Kelsey Daugherty to hand Hearts the lead.
Sadiku made several substitutions at half-time in a bid to spark life into her side, but despite their improvement, Celtic failed to break down a resilient Hearts defence.
“The first half is the worst performance I have seen,” said Sadiku.
“It was not Celtic at all. There was no energy, no confidence.
“I don’t know why. That is something that got fixed in the second better where it was much better. There was only one team on the pitch and we created enough chances to win the game but unfortunately it was not to be.
“It is not good enough. I am just happy that we have players coming back who have energy like Amy Gallacher and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, important players for us.
“I am very disappointed but we need to learn from this and make sure it never happens again – I will make sure it never happens again.”
Hearts Strengthen in Top-Four Race:
For Hearts, the result is a significant boost in their push to narrow the gap between themselves and the top three. Elsewhere, Hibernian comfortably swept aside Spartans with a 4-0 victory, courtesy of an Eilidh Adams hat-trick and a goal from Michaela McAlonie, moving them within two points of Hearts.
Motherwell continued their strong start to the season with a 4-1 victory over bottom side Dundee United, who remain winless in the league.
Laura Berry opened the scoring for Motherwell, but Amy Robertson quickly responded for United.
However, goals from Louisa Boyes and Chelsie Watson restored Motherwell’s lead before Berry added her second. United’s woes worsened after Abbie Cusack was sent off for a professional foul.
Montrose and Partick Thistle shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Links Park, with Neve Guthrie scoring for Montrose before Carla Boyce equalised for the Jags. Aberdeen secured a 2-0 win over Queen’s Park, thanks to goals from Hannah Stewart and Emily Kraft.
Rangers Hold Top Spot After Glasgow City Draw:
In the weekend’s headline clash, Rangers came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Glasgow City at Ibrox, retaining their place at the top of the table. Emily Whelan gave City the lead, but Rio Hardy equalised for Rangers in the second half.
“Jo said ‘go on, change the game,’ and I was happy to do that,” said Hardy. “We want to win every game, but we will take the point and move on.”
With the season heating up, Celtic now face a crucial test of character, knowing they cannot afford any further slip-ups. As Sadiku made clear, there’s no room for complacency: the time to bounce back is now.