‘We now need to win our next two matches’ says Mcgregor

Callum McGregor chats to Simon Murray in front 

of protesting Celtic fans at Dens Park on Sunday

21 Oct 2025 - The Scotsman

Ronnie Esplin - sportts@scotsman.com

Captain Callum McGregor has targeted two wins in a massive week for Celtic as the Scottish champions licked their wounds from the club's first defeat at Dundee in 37 years.

Sunday afternoon on Tayside got off to a false start when, in their on-going protest against the Parkhead board, Celtic fans immediately disrupted the game by throwing dozens of balls on to the pitch.

Steven Pressley's side reacted better after the delay and in the 17th minute, defender Clark Robertson headed in from a corner before luckless Celtic defender Cameron Carter-vickers scored an own goal just before the break following terrific work by Cameron Congreve.

The 2-0 defeat was their first in the William Hill Premiership this season and Celtic's first loss at Dens Park since 1988, when Tommy Coyne scored the goal that secured victory for Dundee.

With one win in five games in all competitions, Celtic remain five points behind leaders Hearts, whom they play at Tynecastle on Sunday in a mouthwatering lunchtime kick-off, following the Europa League tie against Sturm Graz on Thursday, when the Hoops will be looking to build on the one point from their two opening league-phase fixtures.

McGregor, 32, has urged a big response from the club as he looked ahead to two crucial fixtures.

He said: “We need a result in both. We need to win both games. So that's what it's about being at Celtic.

“You have to respond to poor days and show why you're a champion and show why you should be here. So that is now the challenge to the players and ultimately, we have to do our talking on the pitch.

“It's all right, me coming out and talking, or anyone else coming out and talking, but we have to start showing why we're a good team and can we be the team that goes on to be the champions?

"Obviously, Hearts are winning games, but the good news is, we get to play them next week, so it's a challenge for us to go there,

“Obviously, they'll be full of confidence but we've so much work to be done and so much that we have to look at ourselves internally first before we can even look at anyone else.”

Midfielder Mcgregor believes hard work is the only way for Celtic to get back to their top levels.

The skipper continued: “Poor afternoon. Really poor result, can't happen at a club like Celtic.

“It doesn't happen too often, to be honest, but when you have a performance and a result like that, then I think it emphasises everything that's happened between now and the start of the season.

“There is only one way out of it and it is hard work, it's digging in and fighting together which I know that we will do.

“And the good thing is that, there still so much football to be played. Is that eight games? So you still have 30 games to go.

“Now we have to go away and react on Thursday night, react next Sunday and we have to start to show people that we're a team that's good enough to win this league.”