Pundit Pat Nevin has defended Celtic fans who left the stadium early during the 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Doubles from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, as well as strikes from Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez, saw Diego Simeone's side run out comfortable winners at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium.
And Nevin stated that he understood why some of the 3,400 Hoops fans who made the journey decided to leave early.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "It’s unusual because it’s not usually the case for Celtic fans.
"They have come a long way and spent their money. They make a lot of noise, but now an awful lot have gone."
The result leaves Celtic needing maximum points from their last two games as well as favours elsewhere to remain in the competition.
Nevin continued to sympathise with the supporters who had seen enough by the time the sixth goal went in.
He continued: "You know what? With the pain of a 6-0 defeat, for a team that isn’t used to losing domestically, that is tough to take...so I do understand why some have left.”
Meanwhile, Jota could finally be set for a second chance at Al-Ittihad following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo.
The former Celtic ace moved from Glasgow to Saudi Arabia in June this year. He joined the Pro League champions for a fee of around £25m and gladly accepted the chance to earn life-changing money.
However, the Portuguese winger's switch to the Middle East has not played out the way he would've envisaged after helping the Hoops to the treble last term.
He was left out of the club's domestic squad, with rules permitting only eight foreign players per club. Al-Ittihad had too many within their ranks, so Jota was left on the sidelines. He cannot feature in any Pro League matches until January at the earliest when squad lists can be reviewed.
It was reported at the time of his slide out of the side that he would seek a loan move away from the club or even a mutual termination of his contract.
However, with ex-Tottenham boss Espirito Santo now away from Al-Ittihad, Jota's future could still lie there if he can make an impression on the new manager.
