ACH, it was always going to be about third place and qualification for the Europa League knock-out stage after Christmas for Celtic this time out.

And if they play as they did against Bayern Munich, a side that could conceivably win the Champions League this season, then they will have a chance, without getting too carried away, of going on a European run next year.

Celtic played so wonderfully well at times at a pulsating Parkhead, better than the beasts of Bavaria for long spells.

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Nobody could criticise a group of players which had shipped eight goals in two group defeats on nights they looked not even average at this level. Not on this intense night in Glasgow’s east end.

Even a less than full strength Bayern Munich side is full of serious footballers. Celtic, with every respect, have little right to go toe-to-toe with the best team in German football. And, yet, the Scottish champions did just that.

They played some terrific stuff against a club whose very name demands respect.

Brendan Rodgers would have been disappointed, of course, but privately he perhaps thought his team’s best efforts in this group were always going to seem them finish third.

Oh, but how close his men got to a point.

James Forrest was mesmerising. Callum McGregor can always say he scored against Bayern Munich. Kieran Tierney was, well Kieran Tierney.

All three came through the academy. They and pretty much the rest looked at home here. If ever a home defeat could be viewed positively, this was it.

Rodgers spoke before the match of his reluctance to ‘park the bus’ but that is what Bayern Munich literally did.

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At every away game, no matter where, the club’s own bus is driven thousands of miles across Europe so when the players arrive at their destination, it’s there waiting for them at the airport. That’s just showing off.

The bus is posher than some houses, which is why folk were taking selfies before the game. With a bus.

A big football club were in town, that was for sure.

You couldn’t walk around a corner of Glasgow during the day without bumping into a group of well- mannered and, it must be said, well-oiled Germans who had travelled in their thousands.

The five gold badges on the famous red strip symbolised how many times this incredible club had won the European Cup. There were t-shirts bearing the faces of Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Paul Breitner. It was hard not to be just a bit impressed.

The same went for the You’ll Never Walk Alone at the start which had mouths quivering such was the passion it was belted out. On nights such as this, there is no better place to be on Planet Football.

From the start, it was a gripping match and, in Tierney, Celtic have a superstar.

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His run, tackle and pass four minutes into the game, gave Forrest the chance to pick out the run of Stuart Armstrong who didn’t quite get it right at the back post.

Forrest was outstanding. This was arguably his best game for Celtic. There was only one star called Xamez on the pitch and it was the Prestwick lad rather than his namesake from Columbia.

From the off, Celtic’s passing, movement and running off the ball was night and day compared to the performance in Munich of two weeks ago and the PSG game.

It was all looking pretty decent for 20 minutes and then calamity struck.

A punt from Bayern keeper Sven Ulreich could (should) have been dealt with by either Craig Gordon or Dedryck Boyata. Neither took responsibility and such silly mistakes are punished at this level just about every time. Kingsley Coman rolled the loose ball home as the inquest began among the Celtic players.

Bayern Munich don’t need any help to score goals.

Rodgers turned away in disgust on the touchline. It was another avoidable goal and, again Gordon was partly (or is mostly the word) at fault in a big game. It’s a matter which must be addressed.

Read more: Celtic looked like a 'proper' Champions League team against Bayern - Brendan Rodgers

And just to make matters worse, the ball hit Coman’s arm before he scored which referee Danny Makkelie might have pulled him back for had he seen it.

Talk about pouring salt into wound.

To Celtic’s great credit, they stuck to their guns and did not panic. If they were to go down, they were going down playing football. This is to be commended. No long balls were thrown forward, instead they played out from the back and got men forward.

They did not want to hear the half-time whistle.

It is against the law for Bayern Munich not to have a brilliant goalkeeper always, which is why Sven Ulreich somehow got his hand to an Armstrong show minutes after the break had ended.

Celtic refused to give in. The supports didn’t stop singing. Everyone kept believing. Even the ball-boys did their job, getting play started again.

And then it happened with 16 minutes to go.

Forrest, who else, brilliantly scooped a pass to McGregor who poked the ball into the net. Cue mild applause and some tips of the hat. Or it was utter bedlam.

It lasted just a few minutes. Damn it.

As the seriously big teams tend to do whenever they need a goal, Bayern clicked through a few gears, a cross came in, Javi Martinez got the jump on Nir Bitton and it was 2-1 before anyone knew it.

Reality does suck; however, Celtic have a real chance of doing something in the Europa League. For now, that will do. They earned their standing ovation.