It's been a week of ominous records for Scottish teams in Europe but the jubilant Celtic supporters dancing and singing while leaving the Bernabeu were certainly gleeful not gloomy.
Rangers earned the unwanted crown of worst ever team in Champions League history 24 hours earlier but the joy of the Hoops faithful after the 5-1 defeat to Real Madrid didn't feel like an act of defiance despite failing to win a game in Group F. The history books, however, show it is the worst campaign in terms of points won out of the 11 seasons they have competed in since they first punched their ticket back in 2001/02.
Ange Postecoglou railed against lumping his side in with other Scottish teams in Europe pointing to his side's attacking endeavour in games against Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig. Punters have been buoyed and frustrated by the giveth and taketh away nature of their team's ability to create chances but ultimately spurn them. Celtic had 80 shots over six matchdays but only scored four goals as a myriad of sitters, sclaffs and speculative attempts were passed up.
Landing two points in a perceived favourable group can't be heralded as a triumph, however, the attacking endeavour and desire to compete had punters onside from the get go – as it has since the Greek-Aussie arrived last summer before overseeing an incredible rebuild of a team who had finished an eye-watering 25 points behind Rangers.
But what do the numbers tell us about this Celtic team, the club's recent record dining at European top table and what should be expected of a fourth seed securing a reservation after a five-year absence? Record Sport takes a look.
The decade long decline
Celtic earned two points this season thanks to a pair of draws with Shakhtar Donetsk but despite being the lowest amount accrued it has been an uphill battle since Neil Lennon's achievers earned a best-ever 10-point haul a decade ago. This is a long-term issue.
In the four campaigns since the highs of 2012, Celtic have earned three points on the occasions (13/14, 16/17 and 17/18 before this year) with only two wins combined in their last 24 games in the Champions League. And there's a compelling argument there was more to shout about in 22/23 than there has been in a decade.
The 13/14 campaign yielded a singular win against Ajax while Brendan Rodgers earned a trio of draws against Manchester City x2 and away to Borussia Monchengladbach. But Rodgers' team were swimming against the tide after a 7-0 defeat to Barcelona on matchday one. Rodgers' second campaign in the Champions League was sobering as PSG and Bayern were too much to handle but a third-placed finish was secured thanks to a 3-0 away triumph to Anderlecht on matchday two. And the recent record is hard to take for Celtic supporters who lived and breathed their club's early Champions League glory
The Fortress Paradise era
The recent woes in the Champions League are compounded due to the fact a large section of the support knows exactly how it feels to beat the biggest teams in the world. Celtic Park was the venue the big boys wanted to avoid and the startling numbers behind Fortress Paradise prove it.
In Celtic's first four Champions League group stage appearances (two with Martin O'Neill and two under Gordon Strachan's guidance) they boasted a record of 12 wins, two draws and one defeat in their first 15 home group games - a startling run which was among the best on the continent. Yes, the away record was the polar opposite with only one point in 12 games but a 100 per cent home record was enough to see Strachan's side into the last 16 in consecutive seasons. Lennon followed the masterplan to perfection in 12/13 with wins over Spartak Moscow and Barcelona backed up with a draw against Benfica.
But those heady days of Europe's teams beings rendered frozen by a trip to Glasgow's east end are merely a memory of a bygone area. The draw with Shakhtar ended a skid of seven consecutive home defeats - the worst run by any team in the history of the tournament.
There are multiple theories why the fortress has become so flimsy but it's been an issue long before Postecoglou returned Celtic to the Champions League.
Belief in Angeball
The Celtic boss believes the best of his team in Europe is still to come and there's a compelling case at least one of their group stage games in Group F could have resulted in three points. The 1-1 draw in Warsaw against Shakhtar feels like the biggest missed opportunity but the 57-year-old retains an unshakeable belief his players will be primed to strike if they win the league this season.
Yes, the wins weren't there but Celtic were able to beat Ferencvaros x 2, Jablonec x 2, AZ Alkmaar and Real Betis last season amid a mammoth squad revamp and a bulging injury list. There's a feeling of missed opportunity that this Celtic team won't get the chance to compete with teams who are below the level of both Madrid and Leipzig. They feel better equipped now to compete in competitions underneath the top level.
As bountiful as their Champions League endeavours were in the 00s, there were also host of galling away displays in that era which resulted in defeats which didn't include the type of desire to create chances and score goals which the current team lives by. Punters are bruised but unbroken and are certain Postecoglou will make inroads the more he navigates European football's trickiest journey.
Seed strife
The growing disparity between the elite clubs and the rest has been stark and it is even more pronounced as the biggest teams on the planet continue to dominate. The fourth seeds have been toiling for years and the 22/23 edition of the Champions League is no different. Out of the eight teams in pot four only one managed not to finish bottom of their group.
A major hat tip to brilliant Brugge who won their first three group stage games which landed them a last 16 place despite failing to win any of their final three. But Celtic under Postecoglou are suffering the same challenges champions in other countries outwith the big five leagues. Danish kingpins Copenhagen didn't score their first goal until matchday six and Czech rules Victoria Plzen needed a spirited showing against Barcelona to help them do enough to avoid finishing below Rangers as the tournament's poorest ever team.
The challenges are there for every team outwith the best, you can be attacking, defensive, gung-ho or pragmatic but it remains a mammoth challenge to truly challenge the world's best. And the Celtic fans who produced a stirring version of 'Bella Ciao' as they headed into the Madrid night would tell you it's better to go out swinging.
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