Redemption, of sorts.

They were defeated but not broken.

There was a spirit about Celtic during their defeat to Barcelona that gave credence to the theory that there has been a maturation throughout the team since that chastening defeat in the Nou Camp in their harrowing opening night in Group C.

A goal in each half – the first an exquisite move between Neymar and Lionel Messi – and a second-half penalty from the little Argentine striker were Celtic’s undoing.

And yet, while the Parkhead side cursed the football gods that night in Spain as Barca clicked and goal after goal flew into the net, last night they were left cursing themselves at times.

Read more: Emilio Izaguirre: Barcelona is gone and now it's all about beating Aberdeen in the cup final

Moussa Dembele scorned a glorious chance shortly after the interval to restore parity in this game with a header at the back post that he directed straight into the arms of Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Within minutes Barca had turned the screw and put this game firmly out of reach with a second.

It was the turning point in which the gulf in class between the teams was evident on a night when the curtain came down on Celtic's European aspirations this season.

Scott Brown out in another fine shift in the middle of the park, while Stuart Armstrong continues to make a case for installing himself in the central pastures on a permanent basis.

Read more: Emilio Izaguirre: Barcelona is gone and now it's all about beating Aberdeen in the cup final

In actual fact those two set an early tone for Celtic side who did not look to their visitors with the same reverence they were guilty of in the Nou Camp.

Armstrong dispossessed Lionel Messi in the centre circle with less than two minutes on the clock. The latter followed that up with a crunching sliding tackle on Sergio Busquets in the middle of the park as Celtic went about their business with more boldness than they had in that opening game of the group.

And yet, among it all, there was still more of the same. For the purists who might wonder about cold November nights in Glasgow, Neymar and Messi combined to showcase just what they do on any stage and under any conditions; the Brazilian’s perfectly flighted ball into the near post was met by the perfect connection from Messi and Celtic were a goal down.

Craig Gordon could do little about the effort, although the Celtic goalkeeper, who has gone full circle since that night in the Nou Camp, was responsible shortly after for ensuring that his goal remained unbreached again when he pulled off a fine stop to deny Suarez after Messi had turned provider.

By that stage the Celtic support would not have welcomed a Suarez strike. He may be one of the favoured sons of Rodgers, but he had incurred the wrath of the Hoops support when he threw himself to the ground petulantly in the centre circle, he won few admirers.

Dembele had a tough shift as he tried to force his way into a game in which Barcelona inevitably dominated in terms of the possession they enjoyed. Nine minutes before the interval he was responsible for Celtic’s first real attack of the game when he collected from Scott Sinclair before cutting inside and producing a save at the second attempt from ter Stegen.

It was Sinclair’s last real involvement in the game. Victim of a cynical foul from Jordi Alba shortly before the break as he tried to get Celtic forward, the winger was replaced by James Forrest after the interval.

The yellow card for the Barca man was far more easily absorbed than the loss of Sinclair to Celtic in the second period. The Englishman was replaced by James Forrest after the restart.

Celtic, to their credit, were punctured by the loss of the goal from their visitors but rallied for the opening stages of the second period.

Callum McGregor had an effort saved by ter Stegen while Forrest was at the heart of arguably Celtic’s best chance when he forged down the flank before picking out Dembele with a cross to the back post.

The striker’s effort was straight into the arms of the keeper and, in echoes of what happened in Spain just as Dembele spurned a chance from the spot, Barcelona responded by kicking up a notch.

It will be a lesson for the young Frenchman who has been widely lauded for his displays for both Celtic and France under-21s this term; chances in games like this need to be taken.

Read more: Emilio Izaguirre: Barcelona is gone and now it's all about beating Aberdeen in the cup final

Emilio Izaguirre was guilty of hauling at Suarez and Italian referee Daniele Orsato was quick to give the penalty. Gordon was spoken to for trying to distract the striker, the Celtic fans behind the goal did their best to make as much noise but Messi did not miss with a raking attempt almost straight down the middle of the goal.

It gave Celtic the proverbial mountain to climb. It could have got higher when a surging run from Neymar sent Messi clear through, only for his effort to head just wide of Gordon’s right-hand post.

Neymar irked the Hoops support by taking an age to leave the field when he was replaced by Arda Turan, with Hoops skipper Brown making an acerbic remark as the Brazilian headed to the dug-out.

That was before Suarez missed a glorious chance to add to the tally when he put the ball wide after Messi - inevitably - had cut through the Celtic defence.

It ended with Barcelona knocking the ball about as Celtic hung on it.

Down and out but with faith in the journey.