Celtic’s Champions League strides have made them a serious entity again | Ewan Murray

For more than a decade the club threw up their hands at the challenge in Europe but Rodgers’ team now embrace it

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. 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. It actually came as Nicolas Kühn sent the visiting support into a frenzy in the reverse fixture. The reality is Celtic remain notches below teams of Bayern’s calibre. At least they should be; a fantastically courageous display from Rodgers’s men had Bayern fearing a tournament exit. Celtic deserved so, so much better than a 94th-minute aggregate defeat to an ugly Alphonso Davies goal.

This has been a period of striking European progress. Celtic have latched on to the fact that retaining Scottish trinkets, while viewed as essential, triggers shoulder shrugs beyond Glasgow. Europe is where Celtic can be seriously judged. Europe is where Celtic made themselves a serious entity again this season. They did so against the unorthodox backdrop of a domestic league where they are streets ahead of the opposition. This scenario intensifies Celtic’s Champions League test. Dundee United’s sporting equivalent in the Bundesliga would thrash Dundee United. Yet here were Celtic giving Bayern such serious food for thought. Celtic did this not just with discipline but swagger.

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