THE European year at Parkhead concluded how it began - with a painful 3-0 defeat to Italian opposition.

While Juventus all but ended the Hoops' Champions League dreams last season with a last-16 first-leg win in February, AC Milan did draw to an unhappy conclusion the Parkhead side's interest in the current competition.

More cemetery than symmetry for the dead-and-buried Bhoys. The 2-1 win for Ajax over Barcelona in Amsterdam means Celtic will finish in bottom spot in Group H.

Even the chance of a parachute jump into the Europa League has been ripped from their grasp on the back of last night's double-whammy.

Which makes the final game, against Barcelona in the Nou Camp on December 11, a dead rubber for Neil Lennon and his players.

There is still a million pounds up for grabs for a victory.

But, on the evidence of last night and Celtic's earlier group games, any extra money earned - and much more besides - will have to be invested in providing Lennon's side with the quality striker it so clearly lacks.

In five games, they have found the net just twice - both of those goals coming in their only victory, against Ajax.

That is simply not good enough at this level, and Lennon is the first to admit it.

However, defending is equally important, and the manner in which his side failed to deal with set-pieces proved to be their undoing against Milan.

Kaka had a free header from a first-half corner to set them on their way.

Cristian Zapata made it two from a similar set-piece early in the second half.

And Mario Balotelli showed too much determination and power to be stopped from making it three with an hour gone, as Milan equalled the biggest win by an away team in a European tie played at Celtic Park.

All of which combined to make the Champions League 2013-14 a major anti-climax for everyone connected with Celtic.

They will now reflect on opportunities spurned, no more so than last night.

On paper, this appeared to be a Milan side more to be feared for their reputation than their form, as they had failed to win in any of their previous nine away games during a troubled season.

The long list of injured stars missing from Massimo Allegri's line-up provided further reason to believe the Hoops could pull themselves right back into contention for a qualifying spot.

But, in Kaka, Balotelli, Nigel de Jong, Riccardo Montolivo and Urby Emanuelson, they still had enough to control - and win - this match.

Lennon knew life had to be breathed into a dream which appeared to be running out of puff after the agony of Amsterdam.

And the Celtic manager should be applauded for being as good as his word with his attacking team selection, where James Forrest and Kris Commons were given his full support despite their off-field distractions, and Derk Boerrigter was handed the biggest vote of confidence yet from the Hoops boss.

They were all expected to provide the ammo for hitman Georgios Samaras, who was preferred to Anthony Stokes.

But, once again, the team failed to fire with any real conviction.

When they did get through to see the whites of Christian Abbiatti's eyes in the Milan goal, the efforts they delivered were weak, misplaced, or both.

Boerrigter, Charlie Mulgrew, Beram Kayal - replaced after just half an hour due to a foot injury - and Samaras all had decent chances to test the stand-in keeper in the first half, but fluffed their lines.

If that was not penal enough, at the other end, the freedom of the six-yard box was given to Kaka to show the Hoops how it should be done.

Only 13 minutes had gone when Milan won successive corners. The first was adequately defended, but the second saw everyone switch off, with Boerrigter and Virgil van Dijk particularly at fault.

Lennon had been dismayed by what he referred to as lack of willingness to defend balls into the box against Aberdeen at the weekend.

The message clearly did not get through because this was even more schoolboyish, and Kaka was not about to pass up the golden opportunity, dipping his head to flick the ball beyond the reach of the rooted Fraser Forster.

It was massive blow to Celtic and their fans, as was the news Ajax were doing the unthinkable to Barcelona.

However, there remained plenty of time to retrieve the situation, so cool heads, not dropped heads, were required.

All the while, discipline was essential as the imperious Kaka lurked, looking to turn defence into attack with one cultured swing of his boot, and Balotelli ready to receive whatever came his way and charge towards Forster's goal.

Van Dijk could and should have dragged Celtic back into the game when, with the score still at 1-0 two minutes after the break, he was presented with a perfect pass by Charlie Mulgrew, but drove his shot straight at Abbiati.

As if alerted to the potential of a Hoops' revival, Milan went up the other end and put the game to bed.

Again a Valter Birsa corner was the undoing of Celtic, his delivery floating all the way beyond the far post to the unmarked Antonio Nocerino, who drilled the ball back across goal for Zapata to poke in from two yards out.

By the time Balotelli out-muscled Efe Ambrose to collect a Monetelivo ball over the top and fire his low shot beyond Forster, all hope had gone, even though half an hour of the match remained.

On the sidelines, Lennon was suffering and simmering in equal measure.

The sight of Emilio Izaguirre pulling down Balotelli and picking up the booking which will keep him out of tie in the Nou Camp next month sparked little reaction as that game merely fulfils their obligations for the competition.

Not what anyone wanted, but perhaps a reality check for everyone.