TEN years to the day from James McFadden’s raking left foot screamer being palmed into the net by Mikael Landreau at the Parc des Princes, Celtic supporters turned up at Parkhead hoping for an equally unlikely Scottish success story against a group of our Gallic cousins. All they got, though, was a proper eyeful of some precocious Parisian talent.

Mesmerised by the two most expensive players in the history of the sport, if not men against garcons, then this was definitely a French lesson. It was comfortably the Parkhead side’s heaviest ever home defeat in Europe, and equalled their worst ever in any competition full stop. The scoreline wasn’t even particularly flattering.

PSG’s Qatari backers fronted up a cool £200m for the services of Neymar this summer and committed to around £160m for the pacy thrusts of young Kylian Mbappe down the right and on this evidence you could almost call it a bargain. As ridiculous as it sounds, it may well be considered such if it can deliver the Champions League for the first time this summer.

While the Green Brigade’s traditional pre-match banner spoke or Brendan Rodgers’ Celic renaissance, in truth almost all the artistry on show yesterday came from across La Manche.

The Auld Alliance seemed alive and well when the 1,000 or so visiting French supporters joined in on You’ll Never Walk Alone pre-game, but instead of the Glasgow kiss Celtic hoped to inflict upon their opponents, the Scottish champions found themselves French kissed into submission by the sublime touch and movement of their more vaunted opponents.

PSG boss Unai Emery started with four French players - goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, left back Layvin Kurzawa, Mbappe and the excellent Adrian Rabiot - to Celtic’s one. Olivier Ntcham attempted to help Scott Brown in shielding the Parkhead defence, but contrary to some reports, Moussa Dembele was not fit to return after a hamstring problem.

No-one had a tougher assignment than Tony Ralston, but if his credentials were measured by the heart the teenager displayed he was up for the task. Rodgers made his name in youth development and last night he stayed trued to his word by flinging this 18-year-old from Lanarkshire, with only a handful of first team starts to his name, in against the wolves.

It didn’t seem fair for him to line up next to £200m man Neymar, not to mention keeping an eye on the buccaneering runs of Kurzawa too. At least he didn’t stand on ceremony. Stung by the Brazilian wizard, a man with form of upsetting Scottish crowds, skipping past him early on, the teenager uncermoniously planted the most expensive player in the history of world football on his derriere.

There was more of the same later when this game young man robbed Neymar, bludgeoned his way 80 yards up the park and almost fashioned a shooting chance, taking out Thiago Motta on his way back into position in a way that kicked the crowd out of a rare lull. Things didn’t always go his way but he lasted the full 90 minutes and my word this young lad will have slept well last night.

If that was the right kind of riposte to this onslaught, rather less pleasing was the fact that a supporter escaped from the crowd and appeared to aim a kick at Mbappe, an act which is likely to land Celtic in further bother with Uefa. Judging by the difficulties he experienced when he was finally removed from the pitch, the fellow didn’t endear himself to his fellow supporters either.

It isn’t just Neymar who has form for upsetting the locals in the East End. Hhis countryman Thiago Motta has been around long enough to be involved in a tunnel rammy with big Rab Douglas at this venue.

The Brazilian was the master of the dark arts for this black-clad PSG team, usually around to snuff out the danger one way or another when Celtic did manage to engineer themselves into a promising break. When he managed to remain incognito for halting a Sinclair run, a sublime Rabiot pass played Neymar into the space behind Ralston. Of course Neymar had the pace, touch and finish to open the scoring.

As manfully as Celtic tried - Leigh Griffiths tested Areola with a long range free kick, Sinclair wriggled free at the end to test the goalkeeper again - they struggled to get close to their opponents and were unable to keep hold of the ball long enough when they had it. This match was done as a contest early, Neymar’s clever movement allowing him to outjump Ralston at the far post, Edinson Cavani missed his kick and Mbappe had a simple finish.

The pace and interchanging of the Parisians was something to behold but at times Celtic didn’t help themselves. Referee Daniele Orsato got a clear view when Jozo Simunovic got a handful of Cavani’s jersey and the penalty was a simple award. Cavani, the last remaining part of this fiendish French-based front three, sent Gordon the wrong way.

The equation for Celtic at half time looked bleak, and for all the best efforts of Ralston and co, it turned out that way. Tom Rogic came on for Stuart Armstrong, then PSG’s own Odsonne Edouard for Griffiths, but the French also had the £50m World Cup winning talents of Julian Draxler to introduce. His cross led to a Mikael Lustig own goal, then Cavani’s header made it five.

Neymar was also present when Barcelona took seven goals off Celtic in the Cam Nou on the opening match day 12 months ago. How the Parkhead side had hoped they were beyond all this.