IT was something of an irony that on a night when Celtic refused to play long balls, it was a prehistoric punt which enabled Bayern Munich to take the lead.

Even when they fell behind, Brendan Rodgers’s men stuck to their manager’s principle of playing out from the back.

And if at times the Germans were able to win back possession then so be it; even if the cries from the stands where to get rid of the ball at any cost.

Of course, Celtic lost and winning ugly beats an attractive defeat any day of the week.

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However, if this group of players are to become an established Champions League side, certainly as long as Rodgers is there, then the football will be played the way the manager wants.

And that is final.

“I think Tuesday was probably one of the best Celtic games in my time here because it’s against a very good team,” said Mikael Lustig.

“From that we have shown we can play out from the back. The performance is satisfying but you need a win or a point to make it truly memorable for the rest of your life.

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“We want to play that type of game and not the long ball. They have strong defenders and so if we did that then they would have moped up.

“We wanted to play our game. We are good footballers and that’s why we want to play this way and, in this game ,we did it.”

Scott Sinclair agreed that Celtic have taken a step forward despite losing again

He said: “We are progressing. I think everyone can see that.

“We re getting better with each game and are now stronger as a team.”