As the teams walked out into a typically electric Celtic Park Champions League evening, the fans in the North Curve evoked the memory of Jock Stein by unfurling a gigantic banner, referencing the terracing song that proclaims they still pray to God that their team can go on another run, ‘and beat the best in Europe’ - like the great man ‘already done’.
It looked doubtful though that calling upon the help of any deity, or even divine intervention from Scotland’s very own special one from Burnbank, could have done much to help Celtic here in the face of an almighty step up in class against Bayern Munich.
The Germans, for long, long spells, were simply too good for the Scottish champions. And there is no shame in that. Brendan Rodgers and his men deserve huge credit for their exploits in Europe’s elite competition this season. They have taken bumps and bruises along the way, and showed that they can learn from them quickly.
For much of the evening, this was another chastening experience. A night that for all Celtic’s progress at this level, appeared to signal that they had come up against their glass ceiling. All of that may still be true. But as these Celtic fans are now learning, where there is Daizen Maeda, there is hope. However faint that may be.
The little man is fast approaching sainthood status around these parts. And his late goal here means that Celtic can at least set their sights a little higher than mere damage limitation next week in the Allianz Arena.
Rodgers said in the build up to this game that he wanted his team and their fans to make sure that Bayern ‘hurt’ during their visit to Celtic Park. Trouble was, they had to get the ball first.
The pain, instead, was largely theirs, as to a man they worked and ran themselves into the ground as they attempted to close the gaps and squeeze the space that the Munich machine relentlessly tried to exploit.
To add to the frustration of the home support, the opening seconds offered a tantalising glimpse that things might have been so different. Celtic blasted from the blocks, working the ball with speed and precision wide to Nicolas Kuhn.
The winger clearly had a point to prove against the club where he spent some of his formative years as a player, cutting inside and driving for goal. The crowd urged him to shoot, he duly obliged, and the stadium exploded as the ball flew past Manuel Neuer and into the net.
Alas, Adam Idah had hurdled over the ball from an offside position, and the wild celebrations were cut short by the assistant’s flag. Sadly, that is about as good as it got for Celtic and their fans when it came to the attacking side of the game until the latter stages.
From there, the visitors set about quietening down the home crowd by taking a chokehold of the game. They passed and probed and passed and passed and passed some more, pinning Celtic back into their area for long spells, not only dominating the ball, but suffocating their opponents with their high press on the rare occasions when they coughed up possession.
In short, they did to Celtic what Celtic normally do to the opposition here. Bayern had the better players and the greater physicality, and they pushed the men in green and white into a role with which they are far from accustomed.
There was no faulting their effort though. And there was much to admire about their defensive organisation and application. For all the ball that Bayern enjoyed, they didn’t create a great deal in the first half.
Indeed, even Kane, for all his clever movement and feints and flicks that brought his teammates into play, had just the one clear opportunity, planting a free header into the side netting at the back post from a deep Michael Olise corner. That wouldn’t last.
Still, as the interval approached, Rodgers would have been relatively satisfied by the work of his team. Tactically, it had been more from the rope-a-dope school than anything we had seen from the Celtic manager before, but it had been effective in limiting the sights of goal that Bayern had enjoyed, even if there was little coming back in the other direction.
The question was whether Celtic’s concentration levels could hold until they reached the sanctuary of the dressing room. But they could not. And in heartbreaking fashion, it was the last kick of the half that flew past Kasper Schmeichel, as Olise took advantage of a break of the ball to hammer home from 18 yards, and in a flash, Celtic were behind.
As frustrating as that was, it was as nothing compared to Bayern’s second, as Kane had his say. Again, a deep corner was Celtic’s undoing, the England captain wriggling free all too easily to plant a sidefoot volley into the net for his 29th goal of the season.
There was the odd flurry at the other end. A potential lifeline was snatched away as the VAR team called referee Jesus Gil Manzano to the screen to appraise a Dayot Upamecano challenge on Arne Engels in the area, only for the official to refuse their invitation to award Celtic a penalty.
Then, Maeda couldn’t quite accept Neuer’s invitation, nipping in ahead of the legendary German keeper but rolling across goal instead of into it from a narrow angle.
But if there was one thing Maeda possesses, and that this Celtic team clearly do too, it is a never-say-die attitude.
The winger diverted Yang Hyun-jun’s shot into the net, and from there, Celtic almost forced the unlikeliest of draws. Alistair Johnston forced a save from Neuer in stoppage time, but alas, they just fell short.
In all likelihood, they will also fall short in the tie over the piece. But they weren’t found wanting for guts and spirit, managing to salvage not only their pride, but the right to travel to Munich with just the faintest sliver of hope.
Time to pray.
