MUST BE CZECH MATE!

Hoops’ Euro bid dead in the water as boss finds himself in firing line

LUKAS JULIS scored a hattrick as Sparta Prague claimed a stunning 4-1 away win that sent Celtic to the bottom of their Europa League group.

Despite the Hoops going into the game on a high after their 2-0 Scottish Cup semifinal win over Aberdeen at Hampden, old demons returned to haunt Neil Lennon’s men as the Czechs won at a canter without shifting from third gear.

Lennon kept an unchanged side, unsurprisingly, but it was a somewhat calamitous night for the

Scottish champions, who came unstuck in a tumultuous spell midway through the first half.

David Moberg

Karl sson , who had a short spell at Kilmarnock, had a drive saved by the foot of goal keep er

Scott Bain before he cracked the top of a post with another effort.

Bain did well to tip a shot from Julis over the crossbar for a corner, but from Moberg Karlsson’s delivery, defender David

Hancko sent a header against a post and from the rebound Julis, again unmarked, lashed the ball high into the net.

The goal shook the home side but they came close to levelling in the 38th minute when Mohamed Elyounoussi ghosted into the box to get on the end of a terrific cross by Ryan Christie but his cushioned volley clipped the top of the bar.

Sparta’s second goal, which arrived seconds before the break, came when Adam

Karabec set up Julis inside the box and he neatly sidestepped

CRUSHING DEFEAT

JUL IN THE CROWN.. Lukas Julis scores Sparta’s third after a disastrous night for Celtic at Celtic Park

Hoops midfielder Callum Mcgregor before curling the ball low past Bain and into the corner of the net. Shortly after the break, Jeremie Frimpong flashed a drive past the far post, Lennon brought on Leigh Griffiths and Hatem Elhamed for Elyounoussi and Scott Brown. In the 63rd minute Sparta midfielder Michal Sacek drove into the Celtic box and smashed a shot off a post with Bain beaten and seconds later, Celtic reduced the deficit. Griffiths played the ball to Tom Rogic and when his shot from inside the area was parried by Nita, the Hoops substitute raced in to slam the loose ball into the net.

But the visitors scored a classic counter-attacking goal as Moberg Karlsson skipped past Shane Duffy with ease to set up Julis a couple of yards out and the final nail came at the end when Borek Dockal curled a cross in for fellow sub Krejci to head into the net.

Neil Lennon and Scott Brown (right) had a bad night at the office in Paradise