Moussa spot-on but Hoops held by Rapid

to the stand side linesman minutes later for spotting the Hungarian Szanto was in an offside position when he rounded him and rolled the ball into an empty net.

Next it would be the woodwork to his rescue, the post blocking Stefan Schwab’s lob after he gifted the ball to the Vienna man.

It couldn’t last and just before half-time Rapid went ahead, Gordon’s foul on Joelinton earning the forward the chance to score from the penalty spot – which he grabbed with relish.

To be fair, even then the Celtic keeper’s luck hadn’t entirely run out. In any other match it would have been a sending off for sure.

Here, with it being a friendly, referee Markus Hameter opted for leniency, showing him only a yellow card.

Pretty much from front to back, the Celtic first string looked rusty.

When Erik Sviatchencko’s fine ball out of defence led to Leigh Griffiths being pulled down outside the Rapid box for a foul, hopes were high from the Celtic fans in the crowd we were in for repeat of the forward’s heroics for Scotland against England.

It wasn’t to be, though, with his effort going straight into the wall.

The second half was a different game – literally with both sides swapping all their players. Rapid did so at the break, Celtic held on until just after the hour.

Happily for Brendan Rodgers and the travelling Hoops fans it turned out to be a more enjoyable one than that which went before it.

When the competitive stuff starts though, they are unlikely to get many second chances as clear as this one.