Kieran Tierney had flashbacks to Hapoel Be’er Sheva last night as Astana raced into a 4-1 lead over Celtic.
Three goals in 25 minutes caused panic among Celtic fans as their side folded unexpectedly at the start of the second half against the Kazakh champions.
A year ago in Israel Hapoel Beer Sheva had 40 minutes to get one goal but found Kolo Toure in outstanding form as Celtic survived the storm to claim a group stage place.
There was no Toure to lean on last night but from the moment Olivier Ntcham’s 80th minute shot flew into the net the panic was over on and off the park.
“Have I ever played in a game like that before? Yes, Be’er Sheva last year,” Tierney told The Sun.
“Look, it got to 4-1, and people are automatically going to think the worst is going to happen.
“But the boys did well, we came back and scored two goals, which shows the character we have in such a high pressure game.
“When they were coming at us, you have to stay as calm as you can.
“The gaffer is making you feel calm, and there are leaders on the pitch like Scott Brown who is brilliant at that.
“We’ve come through it, and it’s a great achievement for the club once again. It something we should be proud of.”
Last night’s match was Tierney’s 19th European tie with the full back growing up quickly amid the tension of continental action.
After relatively straightforward ties before reaching Kazakhstan the video analysis from last night is likely to make for revealing viewing.
It wasn’t quite at Be’er Sheva panic levels but the concern between Astana’a fourth goal and Ntcham’s strike is something that no Celtic fan will want to experience again.
