The acclaim given to Celtic’s squad and management as their Champions League campaign ended in the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night had to be about far more than the detail of an agonising exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Brendan Rodgers had spoken about a potential tide-shifting moment after Daizen Maeda scored for Celtic in the first leg, halving Bayern’s lead.
Celtic have latched on to the fact that retaining Scottish trinkets, while viewed as essential, triggers shoulder shrugs beyond Glasgow.
Yet here were Celtic giving Bayern such serious food for thought.
The reality is Celtic remain notches below teams of Bayern’s calibre.
