Luis Palma featured again in a central role for Lech Poznań as their Champions League hopes were ended by Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night.

The Celtic winger, currently on loan in Poland, played 79 minutes in the second leg of the third qualifying round tie, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Rajko Mitić Stadium.

However, the damage had already been done in the first leg, where Poznań suffered a 3-1 home defeat, giving the Serbian side a 4-2 aggregate win and safe passage to the play-off round.

Palma was once again deployed in a central attacking midfield role, a tactical shift from the wide positions he typically occupied during his time at Celtic.

The change in position, introduced in last week’s first leg, was a bold decision from the Lech coaching staff but ultimately proved ineffective over the two legs.

The Honduran international completed the full 90 minutes at home in the first leg, where Red Star punished Poznań’s defensive errors and showed their clinical edge.

Palma looked to make an impact from his central position, linking up play in attack, but found it hard to break through a well-organised Red Star midfield.

The second leg in Belgrade saw a more controlled display from the Polish side, who did well to hold their shape and limit Red Star’s chances for long spells. But needing two goals to stay in the tie, they never really looked like turning it around. A late equaliser gave them something on the night, but Red Star were never in danger of losing control.

Palma’s loan move to Lech Poznań was seen as a chance for him to get more minutes and take on a bigger role. Playing through the middle has brought a change in duties, but it’s still unclear if that position plays to his strengths.

With Poznań now heading for the Europa League, the 25-year-old could still be involved in European action this season, just not in the competition he or Celtic would’ve wanted.