As Celtic walked out into a crackling Villa Park for their final league phase match in this season’s Champions League, the home fans unveiled a massive tifo display from the top of the famous Holte End featuring one of Birmingham’s favourite sons, Ozzy Ozbourne.

As it transpired, the start to the match couldn’t have been more horrifying for those of a Celtic persuasion supposing the self-styled Prince of Darkness himself had marched into the centre circle and bitten the head off a bat.

There was a real-life prince in attendance too, with the visiting supporters providing one of the lighter moments of the night as they welcomed Villa fan Prince William into the stadium by singing that they were ‘walking in a Harry wonderland’. But the first five minutes were no laughing matter.

A Morgan Rogers double within that frantic opening rocked the Scottish champions to their core, and it looked for all the world in those fraught early exchanges as though another bruising battering a la Borussia Dortmund was on the cards for Brendan Rodgers and his men.

This has been a campaign in which Celtic have had some harsh lessons dished out to them, and despite ultimately falling to defeat here in the end, they seem to have heeded many of them throughout their impressive run that led to the securing of a knockout tie for the first time in 12 years.

They showed here that while they still have a lot to learn at this level, one thing they have taken on board is the value of hanging in there. There were last-gasp deflections off the post. A goalline clearance from Alistair Johnston. There was grit.

Then, Matty Cash went down injured for the hosts, prompting a spell of treatment that was to prove fateful for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Rodgers summoned his team to the sidelines for a war council. And suddenly, his men finally looked up for the battle. They were snapping into tackles instead of standing back and admiring the impressive movement and incisive passing of their opponents.

Cash had to be withdrawn (sorry), and on in his place came John McGinn to a rapturous welcome from the home fans. The Scotland hero had no doubt dreamed as a lad of contributing to a Celtic goal in the Champions League, but probably not while wearing opposition colours.

Celtic conjured up their first real move of quality as Reo Hatate’s clever pass got Greg Taylor in on the left, and as McGinn slid back in an attempt to cut out his cross, he succeeded only in laying it on a plate for Idah to help the ball into the net.

You know what they say, you wait 15 games for a goal and then two come along at once. The big Irishman hadn’t scored in an age, but he didn’t half choose his stage to break his long drought. And sensationally, less than two minutes later he had another to send the Celtic supporters wedged into the corner of the Doug Ellis Stand into raptures.

A quite brilliant flick from Arne Engels sent Hatate in behind on the right this time, and his low cross was thumped into the roof of the net by Idah.

But McGinn would ultimately have his say for Villa after the interval, and while he didn’t even get the assist as the hosts moved back in front, his famous rear-end more than played its part.

As the Villa captain and Engels chased a loose ball, McGinn swung his backside into the young Belgian, and he was sent sprawling to the deck. He instantly played in Jacob Ramsey, who had Ollie Watkins up with him and just Auston Trusty between him and the goal. He picked out his teammate, and Villa were back in front.

If that was harsh on Celtic at that stage, what was to follow was incredibly so. Trusty looked to have clearly won the ball as he slid in on Watkins in the area, but French referee Clement Turpin pointed to the spot, and his call wasn’t challenged by the VAR team.

Justice was done though in the end as Watkins slipped in the act of shooting, hitting the ball off his standing foot and sending it wildly over the bar.

Now though, Celtic really were hanging in. Schmeichel came up with a big save low to his left from Watkins. But Hatate managed a counter punch, firing just wide at the other end.

There was a big moment and some valuable experience for young Daniel Cummings as he replaced Idah, but he couldn't help Celtic conjure an equaliser.

In fact, there was another stark lesson for young Dane Murray, as the sub was caught napping by Watkins in stoppage time to set up Rogers for his hat-trick.

That was a little harsh on Celtic, who nevertheless emerged with much credit, their respect intact, and some further lessons that will no doubt need to be taken on board for the next stage.

And in fairness, this was far from Celtic at their strongest. Cameron Carter-Vickers was missing, and having sold Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes and with Daizen Maeda serving the first game of his two-match suspension, Yang Hyun-jun filled in on the left of the attack. And for all that the South Korean contributed, Celtic would have been as well sticking Sharon Osbourne out there.

It was a wild ride, alright. Or a crazy train, as our old pal Ozzy might say. As this campaign has been to date for Celtic.

On a night that threatened to go spectacularly off the rails though, Celtic managed to right their course and at least avoid another hiding.

And they had enough about then to suggest that they are on track to at least make a fist of the gargantuan task that Friday’s draw will  throw at them, with either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich lying in wait.