1: LEIGH GRIFFITHS SHOWED THERE WILL BE LIFE AFTER MOUSSA DEMBELE

If Moussa Dembele is to leave Celtic before the transfer window closes on Friday night, then the more regular football available to Leigh Griffiths may see the Scotland striker recapture his best form.

He was unfortunate last season in that his own injuries largely coincided with the points of the season when Dembele was also out injured, but if he can get back to playing regularly, then he could well regain the sharpness that saw him score 50 goals in a season three years ago.

He did bring up his century of goals on the night with a typically eye-catching free-kick, and he could have had more as he squandered a couple of presentable chances. The encouraging thing for Celtic and Griffiths though is that he continues to get into goalscoring positions, and the more he plays, the more of those will be dispatched into the net.

With Odsonne Edouard sitting out the match last night again, it is likely that Griffiths will lead the line against Rangers on Sunday, meaning he is edging back towards his best form at just the right time for Celtic. And Alex McLeish will be pleased to see that too.

2: MIKEY JOHNSTON IS A HUGE PROSPECT

The young Celtic winger was given a start on the right in both legs of the tie, and he impressed in both outings. It is easy to see why he is so highly rated by Brendan Rodgers as he showed his pace and trickery to torment his immediate opponent for large periods of the night.

Clearly needs to bulk up physically and improve his decision-making, but the youngster is a real throwback to the wingers who used to thrill Celtic Park and get bums off of seats.

Will likely make way from the starting line-up for the visit of Rangers on Sunday for the vastly more experienced James Forrest, but every time he is given a run-out he does his chances no harm with his inventive and direct style of play.

3: CELTIC’S BEST FORM OF DEFENCE IS ATTACK

The Celtic backline looks more settled now with the reintroduction of Dedryck Boyata alongside Kristoffer Ajer, but they have hardly been tested at all in the last two matches against Hamilton and Suduva, with their opponents showing little ambition to get forward.

Even still though, both of those limited opponents still managed to carve out the odd chance that a higher calibre of side would make more of, and there must be question marks over a defence that has continually been chopped and changed throughout the summer for varying reasons.

The Celtic support would dearly love there to be a big-name defender brought in before Sunday’s match, mind you, so that back four may be disrupted again.

Either way, Celtic look much more comfortable when they are dictating the play high up the pitch, and they would be well served against Rangers to come out on the front foot and keep the ball as close to the opposition box as they possibly can to avoid any slips in concentration at the other end.

4: CALLUM MCGREGOR IS THE MAN WHO MAKES CELTIC TICK

Almost everything good about Celtic in an attacking sense on the night involved Callum McGregor, and that has been the case in the majority of matches for quite some time now.

The attacking midfielder showed great composure to bag Celtic’s second goal on the night to put his side’s progression to the group stage of the Europa League beyond any doubt, and he showed off his technical ability to great effect as he took the ball in tight areas and brought others into play high up the pitch.

It seems ludicrous that he was overlooked so long at international level, but there is no doubt that he has become an absolutely integral figure at club level as he plots and probes just behind the frontman. Will surely be one of the first names on the teamsheet for Sunday’s showdown with Rangers at Celtic Park, and going forward, for Scotland as well.

5: CELTIC ARE STILL A HUGE THREAT DESPITE TURBULENT SUMMER

Whoever is deployed in attacking areas for Celtic against Rangers, there will be a huge amount of firepower available to Brendan Rodgers.

The options up front may well be limited to Leigh Griffiths depending upon what happens over the next 24 hours with the reported interest in Moussa Dembele and with Odsonne Edouard still nursing his way back to fitness, but it is in the three-pronged attacking midfield that the real options lie.

Mikey Johnston and Scott Sinclair were impressive as they were deployed either side of Callum McGregor against Suduva, but both will probably drop out for Sunday’s match with James Forrest and Tom Rogic likely to come into the starting line-up. Not a bad headache for Brendan Rodgers to have despite the debate raging over the lack of investment in the squad over the summer, particularly as he also has the likes of Ryan Christie and Jonny Hayes waiting in the wings.