THE standing ovation which Celtic’s players received from their fans following the Champions League match against Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday night was impressive – but a little bit bizarre as well.

The cheers and applause which rained down on Joe Hart and his team mates from high in the stands in midweek highlighted a heartfelt appreciation of their gallant efforts both in the game against the holders and the campaign as a whole.

The passion which the travelling supporters exhibited for their team before, during and after their final Group F match in Spain won them praise from their Real counterparts and the wider football community. One social media hashtag dubbed them the “best in the world”.  Who could argue after such a show of solidarity?

Yet, Celtic had, not to put too fine a point on it, just been given a going over by their hosts. They had, too, finished bottom of their section with, after Rangers and Viktoria Plzen, the third worst record of the 32 teams involved in the competition. A place in the Europa League had eluded them. Was that really reason to celebrate? 

The Scottish champions have reached the Champions League knockout rounds on three occasions in their not-too-distant past. Are they simply happy to be involved now after five long years away? Is that the height of their ambitions? Is challenging for a place in the last 16 now considered beyond them?

Aspects of their display against Real were certainly laudable. Ange Postecoglou’s players had impressed at times in attack against Carlo Ancelotti’s superstars and created several excellent scoring opportunities with well-worked moves. If Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate had shown greater composure in the final third then maybe, just maybe, it would have been closer.

The two first-half penalties which they had awarded against them for hand ball offences were harsh and did nothing to help their cause. Luka Modric and Rodrygo both, unlike Josip Juranovic when the visitors were given a spot kick, converted from 12 yards.  Ultimately, the 90 minutes followed an all-too—familiar script.

As did the post-match reaction from the Celtic manager and players. Proud of the performance against one of the best teams in Europe at a very difficult venue. You have to take your chances at this level to get anything. We will learn from the experience and be better for it in future.

The journalists covering the encounter could just have cut and pasted the quotes from the previous meetings with RB Leipzig, Real and Shakhtar Donetsk into the stories which they filed. 

Will the Parkhead club fare better in the Champions League group stages in the 2023/24 season if they retain the cinch Premiership this term? Can they compete with and beat French, Italian, English, German, Portuguese and Spanish going forward? Can they remain involved after Christmas again? Postecoglou is convinced of it.

The Greek-Australian coach, though, would be well advised to rethink his gameplan and amend his tactics for his side to progress. Yes, his team produced some nice stuff when they were on the front foot in their six outings. But at the back? Not so much.

On Wednesday night the hosts broke upfield with numbers on numerous occasions as his defenders and midfielders tracked back furiously and attempted to limit the damage. The reverse could easily have been far heavier and much more humiliating than it actually was. What would have happened if Karim Benzema had been fit enough to start?

Richard Dunne, the former Republic of Ireland internationalist and Manchester City centre half, summed up the thoughts of many in the game when he spoke to Virgin Media Sport in the wake of the Real result this week. 

"Maybe they have to go and soak up a bit of pressure to try and defend as a team rather than go end-to-end all the time,” he said. "The bigger sides will do what Real Madrid did to them. Now they know they can't do this again.

"Inevitably, they'll get a lot of support, applause and plaudits for that stuff. But they won't get through the group. They've done it their way this season. Now they have to adjust from the league in to the Champions League next year."

There is something admirable about the way that Celtic approach European games. Some of their play has been a joy to watch. Their less discerning followers have lapped it up. But persevering with “Angeball” against top class foreign rivals is naïve, arrogant even.

Postecoglou will not change his philosophy. But minor tweaks, not radical surgery, is all that is required. A little more emphasis on containing and less of a focus on creating would not go amiss. Great things can, as Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon proved, be accomplished with a pragmatic rather than an idealistic strategy. 

Celtic must seek to emulate the achievements of their predecessors when they return to the Champions League group stages in the seasons to come - it is not good enough for them just to be “putting on a show”.