HOW long the Celtic fans have waited for this. Eighteen long months have passed since any of them have experienced anything approaching the electric atmosphere Celtic Park is famed for, particularly on European nights like these.

It’s not only that moment of walking out to see a packed stadium and a perfect pitch sprawling out before you that has been missed. It’s the pre-match routine, the pint perhaps, the walk to the ground with your pals.

And then, as far as Celtic fans are concerned, that first glimpse of Paradise. How the old place heaved and sighed, rocked and roared. And that was before a ball was even kicked.

The emotion of the occasion was palpable, and hung heavy in the air over Glasgow’s East End.

The traditional pre-match warming up of the vocal cords, belting out You’ll Never Walk Alone, was almost as eagerly anticipated as the match itself. And it didn’t disappoint.

For everyone present, and perhaps most of all for those who were no longer seated beside loved ones they have lost in the intervening period, there can rarely have been a more poignant rendition of the anthem.

Once spines had stopped tingling, there was a pause to remember those fellow fans or family members now sadly gone, and then it was down to business.

Within seconds, Tom Rogic had played livewire Kyogo Furuhashi through on goal. The expectant crowd breathed in, and waited to exhale. The striker tried to dummy the keeper, but he got a leg to it, and the chance was gone.

He did have the ball in the net soon after, clipping home beautifully after a lovely reverse pass from James Forrest, and the roof rattled as the crowd roared. The celebrations were cut short though, as the stand-side assistant ruled the Japanese forward was an inch or two offside.

Befitting the occasion, Rogic had cracked open his full box of tricks, and he had the crowd off their seats with some magical footwork and a long diagonal that had Ryan Christie in behind on the left, but his first-time cross was just too far in front of the straining Furuhashi.

Twenty-five minutes in though, Celtic Park had lift-off. Greg Taylor anticipated an attempted clearance out from the back from Jablonec, intercepted it high up the pitch, and immediately fed David Turnbull inside the area. A difficult finish was made to look effortless with the outside of the midfielder’s right boot, the acclaim was rapturous.

After the breathless opener, Celtic took a breather. And in actual fact, they were a little fortunate not to be brought level at the start of the second half as Carl Starfelt dived into a challenge in the box. Had the ball not broken Jablonec’s way, the referee may have leaned towards awarding the penalty, but as it was, the ball was blasted over.

It was a reminder for the Celtic supporters though that it isn’t always straight-forward when you come to watch your team. But then, a reminder once more of Turnbull’s class.

Taylor worked the ball inside to Callum McGregor – who most things went through on the night – who in turn fed Turnbull centrally 25 yards from goal. If you give him any sort of space in such an area, you are likely to be punished, and so it proved.

The Scotland international cut across the ball beautifully and sent it arrowing low into the bottom right-hand corner of the net for his and his side’s second of the night.

Turnbull has attracted some criticism in these early days of the season having perhaps fallen a little below the sky-high standards he set last season, but rarely has the old adage about form being temporary and class being permanent rang truer.

With Turnbull back at his best and supported by an in-form Christie, Forrest or Liel Abada – who sat this one out through injury - on the right, an exciting buzzbomb of a striker in Furuhashi, McGregor dictating things from deep midfield and even a competent looking keeper in Joe Hart, there is plenty for these Celtic fans to be excited about.

Hart made two point-blank saves in quick succession to underline his credentials, and the roar that acclaimed those stops perhaps underlines how unaccustomed the Celtic fans have become in seeing such accomplished goalkeeping over the past 12 months.

Furuhashi had been given the treatment from the Jablonec defence all evening, and had stood up to it well, which was encouraging too given he will likely see plenty more of the same on the domestic front as the season goes on.

Ange Postecoglou decided though that he had taken enough for one night, and Odsonne Edouard came on to almost immediate effect. The Frenchman raced in behind, and his attempted dink was clawed out by Jan Hanus, but only as far as Forrest who slid the ball into the net.

Social distancing was but a distant memory as the supporters turned their backs, wrapped their arms around one another and rocked the stadium by ‘doing The Huddle’.

Even when Hart showed some signs of ring-rustiness, getting caught on the ball, his defenders got back in behind him to clear. He got away with one, but his two earlier saves and his overall impact since arriving will mean they will forgive a touch of sloppiness at this stage of a game.

So, on the big re-opening night, Celtic showed no signs of stage-fright and put on a pulsating performance for their adoring public.

There have been more famous victories at Celtic Park on European nights, against much more illustrious opponents. But rarely can there have been as memorable a night than this one.