Celtic's 7-1 Hearts rout 'didn't feel that seismic', Maloney insists as Celta Vigo loom

Shaun Maloney has rejected the suggestion that Celtic's emphatic 7-1 win over Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts was a "seismic" moment in their season, insisting the champions must now prove themselves where it matters most — in Europe.

Celtic moved four points clear at the top of the league table with a stunning performance at Parkhead on Sunday, with Callum Osmand, Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Durán all impressing. Durán's club form has been notable this term — a Premiership 2026-27 snapshot recorded nine appearances, five goals and five assists for the forward — but the focus now shifts swiftly to continental matters.

Martin O'Neill's side welcome Celta Vigo to Glasgow on Thursday, hoping to get their Europa League campaign up and running. The Scottish champions are yet to win in Europe this season, having lost to Ferencvaros before being thumped 4-1 by Benfica on matchday two.

A losing streak Celtic must arrest

The numbers make for uncomfortable reading. Celtic have lost their last three European matches, conceding three or more goals in all three games — 12 in total. They have only lost four in a row within a single season once before, doing so in the 2017-18 Champions League.

The two teams previously met in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup, with Celtic progressing on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw (1-0 home, a 1-2 away defeat).

Maloney plays down the Hearts rout

Maloney, taking over media duties while O'Neill took care of a personal matter, was asked whether Sunday's win was a turning point — and was quick to temper expectations.

"No, it didn't feel that seismic, Hearts," he replied. "I know it was a really good performance. Some of the attacking stuff was really good, but it doesn't feel like sort of big moment."

The Celtic coach stressed that the fundamentals on display against Hearts would be just as important against Spanish opposition.

"It's going to be a very different game. I think it sounds really simple, but some of the basics that we did – we had to outrun Hearts in certain areas, and we did," Maloney added. "The 50-50s came out on our side in that game. There are some fundamental things about a game of football that we got right in that game, we got right in the second half of Benfica, and those sorts of things are probably the challenges we've had since the start of the season.

"With the ball, we can be really creative. We just need to have the same level without the ball consistently, and against Hearts we did. We'll definitely need that [against Celta]."

"I think if we can get a really committed team with and without the ball, then we can definitely win this game. Celta are a good side, and they can definitely hurt you. So we need both sides, and I just want to see us continue on from the last seven to 10 days on that."

Celta Vigo arrive without a point

Celtic's visitors have problems of their own. Claudio Giraldez's side have started their Europa League campaign with back-to-back defeats, the latest of which saw them squander a lead and lose 2-1 to Juventus.

The LaLiga side have lost their last two away Europa League matches, though they have not lost three in a row in major European competition since losing four between March 2001 and October 2002 in the UEFA Cup.History offers Celtic encouragement against the Spaniards in Scotland: Celta have lost both of their away European matches on Scottish soil, going down 1-0 on both occasions — at Aberdeen in 1971 and at Celtic in 2002.

What's at stake

After a domestic statement win that took them four points clear in the Premiership, Celtic's European record is the glaring exception to an otherwise strong start. Thursday's meeting with Celta Vigo represents a chance to halt a three-game continental losing run — and, in Maloney's words, to show the same "committed team with and without the ball" that dismantled Hearts.