Celtic energised by another Champions League thrill ride that may leave their hopes punctured beyond repair - Keith Jackson

It started as many feared it would. And it ended as it almost always does... with Celtic licking their Champions League wounds all over again. But even though much of what went on inside Parkhead was entirely predictable last night, it didn’t make the 95-minute thrill ride from A to B any less engrossing.

In fact, at times what went on under the lights took the breath away as Brendan Rodgers and his players produced a coming-of-age performance and yet still somehow failed to cling on for a first group stage win here in more than a decade. Spellbinding throughout an adrenalin-surging first 45 minutes, they took the lead twice through Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma.

It was no more than they deserved for their phenomenal efforts. And yet, in the end, they were left with just a single Group E point after running out of steam in the second half and being left deflated by Alvaro Morata’s equaliser. With the return to come in less than a fortnight, Celtic’s hopes of dropping into the Europa League may also have been punctured beyond repair. The savage cruelty of this competition has beaten them up again.

Long before the warm-up, the Green Brigade were already laying out their display – and in full view of stewards and security – just to prove they’ll do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it. Rodgers, though, who has been targeted by this particular herd before, had a game to be getting on with and one of genuine importance.

It was no surprise at all that his starting XI from Tynecastle on Sunday remained unchanged. But what did come as a shock – and in particular to Atletico – was the trick Rodgers and his players had up their sleeve as they stormed into the lead just three-and-a-half minutes in. This was not any