Party just beginning as Celtic make it into promised land of Champions League

In Saidy Janko they were in danger of sabotaging the big night by turning up at the door paralytic. Clumsy and jittery, the defender stumbled from one error to another in a calamitous opening period.

That he resisted an early taxi home might have been the biggest surprise of the night.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers proud of his Celtic troops for digging in

Yet, if every picture does indeed tell a thousand words then the snapshot at full-time in Israel spoke of the only three that mattered: Champions League football.

The shrill sound of the referee’s whistle that brought down the curtain on a 90 minutes in which Celtic collectively held their breath and hoped for the best, was met with an outpouring that was not so much about joyous celebration than it was of sheer relief.

Read more: Celtic survive nerves to book place in UEFA Champions League

They almost blew it. But they made it. That they will be in the hat for tomorrow’s draw by the skin of their teeth will matter little now. There is a bounty of £20m awaiting, with nights under the floodlights against the cream of Europe to set a firecracker under their season.

But some of that money needs to be used before it has landed in the back account. With just over a week remaining of the transfer window, Brendan Rodgers will be knocking on the door as he looks to supplement a side that on the evidence of last night remains a work in progress.

This was a Celtic performances than lived on its nerves and then some.

It was a laborious 90 minutes, as heavy weathered had they taken to the pitch with bricks sewn into their kit.

Celtic could not string three passes together. The ghosts of Malmo were there in Isreal, just as they had been in Glasgow last Wednesday, but all the luck that Ronny Deila felt he didn’t get might just have landed at the feet of Rodgers.

Read more: Scott Brown: Bring on the Spaniards (and anyone else) by the score

Rodgers, the highest paid manager that the club have ever had, was brought to the club in June with one main remit – to take Celtic into the group stages of Europe’s elite competition.

Excusing that inauspicious start in Gibraltar when the arduous journey to tomorrow’s draw began, his copybook has been relatively flawless.

Lauded for making the big changes during games, for seeing the flaw from the side and changing it before the damage can take root, last night his calls did not carry the same populist appeal.

Leaving out Tom Rogic seemed more remiss as the game wore on. The Celtic midfield might as well have sipped a pint at the bar as they watched the action play out before them, so uninvolved were Callum McGregor, Nir Bitton, James Forrest and Scott Brown.

When they were involved, it did not reflect well. Brown was left red-faced after being outjumped at the opening goal, while no-one in the middle other than Scott Sinclair appeared capable of running the ball and relieving the pressure on a defence that saw the ball come back at them again and again.

Read more: Celtic marks out of ten: Saidy Janko look away now

Janko survived the full game, despite playing as though he could have been hooked within the opening 20 minutes. And Leigh Griffiths who had scored five goals in the opening five qualifying games, had seen very little of the ball, going off for Moussa Dembele had a few folk scratching their heads.

The former Liverpool manager might as well have watched the game through splayed fingers as from the opening minutes that £20m cheque was in danger of being ripped in front of him.

For Craig Gordon, though, there must have been mixed thoughts too this morning.

As Dorus de Vries watched it all from the vantage point on the sidelines, Gordon may have felt that he said much in that opening period when he stood strong to save a spot-kick. The night went downhill from there.

Hapoel’s opener did not reflect well on the keeper or on Kieran Tierney and the second goal straight after the interval will haunt him. The stopper held his nerve to make it through and had one other decent stop in the second period, but there is no question that as Celtic head into the group stages of the competition that Gordon will be looking over his shoulder.

He might not be the only one. The opening half showed a Celtic side that are still spooked unless they are going for the jugular. Too many were bemused, passengers in a game in which Celtic need them to push to the fore.

It will matter little in the bigger picture. For the first time in two seasons, Celtic have made it into the esteemed company of the Champions League and the Hoops support will look at now what is behind but what lies in wait.

There were times last night when it looked as though their nerve and composure had deserted them. Against the odds they found some resolve and no little luck.

There will be flashbacks to last night. There will be a feeling that this morning the Celtic fans could have awoken to an almighty hangover. Instead, they have been met with the news that the party has just begun.