McGregor: We didn’t just ride our luck
what counts.
“It would have been nice to get the victory but you have to remember that they are a quality side. They got to the semi-finals last season and if you had told us at that start of the campaign that we’d get nine points and make it through then we would have been delighted with that.
“The performance wasn’t great but then I felt that for the last 10 minutes we actually looked as though we could still grab something. And then we kind of worked out what had happened with the reaction of the crowd and we are just happy to go through.
“It is probably the strangest night I have ever been involved in. It was incredible. It felt really weird.”
And McGregor was also pleased that Craig Gordon’s mistake for Salzburg’s second goal will be overlooked by the fact it did not cost Celtic their place in the tournament.
The goalkeeper held his hands up after gifting the hosts a second goal and McGregor insisted that the stopper deserved to be applauded for his performance overall.
“I was pleased for Craig,” he said. “It was a difficult one for him but he had saved us twice in the game and it would have been harsh on him if that was what the night was remembered for.”
McGregor also believes that Salzburg can offer Celtic an idea of the quality that the club can expect to face after Christmas.
“They are an indication of the quality that we can expect to face. People look at the Europa League and think that it is a lot easier than the Champions League but that isn’t always the case – Salzburg are an excellent team.”