It wasn’t anything like the night that Celtic fans were hoping for but in amongst a painful 90 minutes, before and after there were a few highlights.
Neymar was almost always going to be centre stage it was mainly a case of which Celtic player would end up with the same opinion as Scott Brown and Mikel Lustig.
Tony Ralston fitted the bill with the teenager showing admirable discipline not to fall in for the worst aspects of the Brazilian’s gamesmanship.
The watching eyes of the world were on Neymar, and by extension Ralston but he showed the discipline of a veteran not to fall into a trap.
While Ralston was sticking to his job Celtic Park was a little subdued as the fans looked on at an unusual performance.
Sure we knew that the visitors were of an altogether different quality to Scottish opponents but that still didn’t explain why Celtic players struggled to put together simple passes or complete the basics.
A year on from a hammering in Barcelona it was expected that progress had been made but there were few signs last night that the gulf we witnessed in the Nou Camp had narrowed.
It wasn’t to be one of our more memorable evenings but as ever there were a few moments of joy and excitement as the clock starts ticking towards a very significant match away to Anderlecht in two weeks time.
RALSTON V NEYMAR
Laughing in the face of the most expensive player in the world, by 18-year-old Anthony Ralston… ???? pic.twitter.com/83DCx9PUL7
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 12, 2017
What a night for young Tony, or Anthony.
Not only was he head to head with the first £200m player but his every move was watched closely by TV cameras.
This sequence of events sums up the mentality and attitude of the teenage Celt and the feted Brazilian, the onus is now on Ralston to kick on and accelerate his game similar to the 20-year-old on the other side of defence.
MARCEL DESAILLY
Great #Football Match ??!???????????????? pic.twitter.com/hMjRaGFgCZ
— Marcel Desailly (@marceldesailly) September 12, 2017
Not suspected of being a Celtic fan but after big nights at the San Siro and Stamford Bridge it seems that the French national hero was blown away on media duties at Celtic Park.
As a player he would have tasted various atmospheres across the continent but from pitchside things can seem a lot different.
With Moussa Dembele making an impact last season and followed to Glasgow by Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard there is bound to be plenty of French attention centred on Celtic Park this season.
RODGERS ON RALSTON
“He was excellent tonight.” ????
Brendan Rodgers is a big fan of Anthony Ralston… And Neymar. ????@EilidhBarbour ???? pic.twitter.com/Qg1FvjwMKW
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 12, 2017
Ralston was told a week ago that he would be playing in this fixture and given adequate time to prepare for the £400m strike force.
Developing young players through to this stage is one of Brendan Rodgers’ aims with Ralston trusted in just his fifth top team appearance.
Few of his colleagues earned pass marks but with this performance in the bank there will be nothing domestically to faze the 18-year-old although it will be in Europe that his development is assessed.
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE
???? You’ll never walk alone! ????
Champions League nights at Celtic Park don’t come much bigger than this. ???? pic.twitter.com/HzIQF9zOne
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 12, 2017
It never loses it’s magic and is a standard part of the Champions League show at Celtic Park.
In the past it has been a form of inspiration but in recent times it has become an old fashioned show of defiance as the new rich come to strut their stuff.
Other broadcasters may use the minutes before the teams emerge to cram in some extra commercials but BT Sport and others know that the Celtic support provides the perfect introduction to the drama about to unfold.
PSG TAKE OVER GLASGOW?
???? “Celtic Park is an intimidating place to go.”
PSG Fans: “We’ll see about that.”#CELPSG #PSG #CelticFC #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/7DdJh2lx4M
— Proper Sport (@ProperSport) September 13, 2017
Thirty fans walking up Buchanan Street isn’t really a takeover by any stretch of the imagination but inside the ground the PSG fans made themselves heard.
There seemed to be an awful lot of fans crammed into the visitors section suggesting that ‘le double shuffle’ is a popular pastime.
They were visual and noisy and had the passion of a big time club- except that the play thing of the Qatar government has little worldwide support and is probably despised across France as a state sponsored club tries to monopolise the ‘game’.