Trondheim might be dark and cold in deepest November but Celtic managed to light up their Europa League campaign with last night’s win over Rosenborg. The Lerkendal stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Celtic and the regularity with which they have found themselves coming up against the Norwegians has done little to dampen their enthusiasm for the task. Now, having established back-to-back wins in Europa League Group B, the Parkhead side have teed up a grand finale at Celtic Park next month, where the Parkhead support will expect. Here are five things we learned as Brendan Rogers’ side celebrated their ever first away win in the tournament.

1. Perhaps Celtic’s reputation as having a nose for a conspiracy theory went before them but it turns out that any disparaging suspicions about two clubs owned by the one owner competing in the same competition were unfounded. The result between the two Red Bull teams was the most favourable outcome that Celtic could have wished for and now puts them in the position of needing just one point from their final home game when they host Salzburg, who have qualified with a game to spare. Should Rosenborg pull off the unlikely task of getting a result against Leipzig the Celtic would progress regardless of the game at Celtic Park. On paper it looks like a relatively straightforward task and having won their previous two home games in the group, Celtic will feel up to the challenge of delivering. The disco lights are set for another airing as the Parkhead side look to bounce back from the disappointment of failing to land Champions League football with progression into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

2. James Forrest is the main man this season for the Parkhead side. The Celtic winger looked a little leggy in the weekend win over Hamilton and although he wasn’t on the scoresheet in Trondheim, it was his run and quality cross onto the head of Sinclair that gave Rodgers’ side the goal that their performance in the opening half had merited. The winger has been hugely influential so far this season and has been heavily involved in both the scoring and the creation of goals. With Forrest working one flank and Kieran Tierney working his socks off on the other, Celtic were able to restrict the chances on offer for the hosts while creating openings up front of their own. The home grown element in Celtic’s ranks at the minute can’t be overstated with the likes of Callum McGregor also turning in another fluid performance as he deputised for the returning Scott Brown. When the Celtic captain made his first appearance in seven games for the last 15 minutes of the game, McGregor was given a little more licence to get himself forward for the final stages.

3. Celtic look far more comfortable at the back with Filip Benkovic in there. The Croatian under-21 internationalist has the look of a player who has been in at the back for significantly longer than a matter of months. It is not just that he has been able to encourage Dedryck Boyata but also from the settled backline, there seems to have stemmed a palpable confidence about Celtic going forward in the knowledge that there is a safety net behind them. Interestingly, the Parkhead side have now lost just one goal in their last seven outings, with the only goal conceded coming in the home game against Leipzig. The youngster has lent an air of authority to the Celtic backline and that has enabled Rodgers’s side to feel more at ease when heading to the other side of the park.

4. If the game highlighted anything, it is that there is genuine competition for places in the middle of the park for Celtic. Scott Brown, who has played just 20 minutes since the end of September, is fit and available again but had to settle for a cameo appearance from the bench in the latter stages of the game. More surprising, perhaps, was that Olivier Ntcham who shone in the weekend win over Hamilton Accies found himself sitting alongside the Parkhead captain. With Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic establishing a decent partnership, Rodgers has the kind of selection headaches now that all managers claim to aspire to as he prepares now to take his team to Hampden in a bid to win his seventh successive piece of silverware as Celtic manager. Having found a winning formula these past few weeks as the Parkhead side have enjoyed their most fluent and stable performances it may be that the starting line-up that was used in Trondheim is the same on that starts on Sunday against Aberdeen.

5. Celtic ticked another box and showed that they finally have it in them to go and win on the road in Europe. They have ticked that box in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and have even managed to do in Europe’s premier tournament but since this competition was rebranded, it is an achievement that has eluded them in 16 previous attempts. There was always a feeling that if Celtic were going to get that particular monkey off their back it would come in Trondheim. If the Parkhead support are sick of the sight of facing Rosenborg then the Celtic players will have few complaints given the manner in which they have dominated them of late. The psychological aspect, however, of having broken that is not something that the Parkhead side will underestimate, particularly if they are successful in forging their way through into the knockout stages of the tournament after Christmas.