We did not so much learn anything new but rather re-affirm that Celtic are a team who do not like to go on their travels empty-handed. The Parkhead side never fail to turn up without a gift to offer and despite looking as though they would hold firm in the opening stages, it did not take long for the requisite lapses in concentration to undo Celtic’s decent start to the game. Two goals in three minutes spooked Celtic and set the tone for a familiar pattern to follow. Such is the fragility within the Parkhead side that they rarely recover from the set-back of losing an early goal. Instead it seems to be the catalyst to unnerve the backline and so it proved against Leipzig. Given that there is every chance it will come down to a head to head between the two teams as to who will go through to the knockout stages then it was vital not to further their undoing any more as the game went on.

Celtic find it as difficult to hold onto possession in Europe as much as they do to keep a clean sheet. Rodgers side repeatedly relinquished the ball without much of a fight, leaving themselves vulnerable then in the face of the German side coming onto them. Olivier Ntcham looked to be on his knees in the early stages of the season period and Celtic’s midfield struggled to get a handle on the game after shipping the two quick goals. Scott Brown’s influence was missed while it did not help matters that the pace and aggression from James Forrest wasn’t available either but there is a prevailing feeling in these games that Celtic lack the desired belief that they are capable of going and getting a result. That seemed to be encapsulated in the manner in which Odsonne Edouard, who was unlucky with one early chances that went just wide of the target, struggled to get into the game and hold the ball up.

That Brendan Rodgers does not want to relinquish his grip on his domestic dominance. Celtic face Hearts at Murrayfield on Sunday afternoon in the Betfred League Cup semi-final and the team selection against Leipzig last night, albeit that some of those changes were forced, would appear to offer an indication of just how much he wishes to retain his domestic treble. The Celtic manager made history last term when the Parkhead side became the first team to win a clean sweep in back-to-back seasons. The League Cup was also the first trophy Rodgers won as Celtic manager and the first piece of silverware he won in management. Hearts have enjoyed some success against the Parkhead side – they were the team who halted the Invincibles run and they walloped Celtic at the start of the season – so there is a feeling that there will be no quarter given as the Parkhead side look to retain the trophy by progressing to the final.

It is not entirely a fresh revelation but Scott Sinclair’s status within the team has taken a substantial knock. The English winger was one of the first names on the teamsheet in his inaugural season at the club but the fact that he could not force his way into the starting line-up on a night when Celtic were beset with injury issues would suggest that he has fallen significantly down the pecking order. Sinclair netted a fine goal against Aberdeen when he came off the bench but he has had to settle largely for cameo appearances rather than starting the game. With Scott Brown injured there was a feeling that Sinclair would have been drafting back into the starting line-up for the game but instead he had to settle for coming on with just 20 minutes of the game to go and the points well gone by that stage.

Rodgers used the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s win against Hibs to again vent his frustration at not getting the players into the club in the summer transfer window. If he was still irked at that following arguably the best domestic performance of the season at the weekend then who knows what he thought last night as Cristian Gamboa went to ground in the build-up to Leipzig’s second goal. The suggestion is that a right-back will remain high on the shopping list but in fairness to Celtic their real undoing last night was not just another defensively naïve performance but also a real lack of energy and imagination. An extensive injury list appeared to lay bare the lack of depth in Celtic’s squad, not helped either when Jozo Simunovic landed awkwardly and had to go off. Of the few positives to emerge from the evening was the contribution of Ryan Christie who showed up well, while Lewis Morgan had a few promising touches in the opening half.