What was expected to be a stroll towards the group stages after a 5-0 first leg win for Celtic against Astana proved to be anything but with a crazy seven-goal match in Kazakhstan.

Brendan Rodgers' side may have lost a long unbeaten record on the night but the main aim was always qualification and it has been achieved again.

We have looked at some of the talking points from the final match of what has been another lengthy qualification campaign.

On Thursday evening, when the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are learning who they will face in the biggest club competition in the world, Celtic's name will be in the hat.

The long route to the group stages has been a challenge for the Scottish champions over the years so back-to-back qualification is not to be sniffed at.

Astana may have brought some nervy moments on Tuesday evening but the bigger picture is a run to the play-offs without conceding a goal, then an 8-4 win over the toughest team they faced in the campaign.

Bigger challenges await but they will bring with them prestige and glamour, not to mention a hefty financial reward from UEFA.

Football is not all about money but the further up Europe's pecking order you climb, the more its benefits can be seen.

Having already banked a small fortune from last season's adventure, Celtic can now pencil in upwards of £26m for this season's achievements so far.

Some have bemoaned the widening gap in the Scottish game as those figures put the side out of reach of domestic rivals but spending a chunk of it in the remaining days of the transfer window can help Rodgers compete on the continent.

Defeat against Astana highlighted the fact that despite ruling the roost at home, European football offers a different class of competition.

Patrick Roberts and Rivaldo Coetzee already look to be lined up as reinforcements but spending a little more before September could prove to be a better investment than leaving the money in the bank if it helps land European football after Christmas.

Rodgers' post-match comments after each of the matches against Astana made for interesting listening.

After the 5-0 demolition in Glasgow, he picked out Nir Bitton for special praise, saying the midfielder had played better as a makeshift centre-half than many specialists in the role.

Following the 4-3 defeat on Tuesday, he reflected on the campaign as a whole, pointing out he had injuries to contend with and had played some games without a striker and had been forced to play others out of position.

The latter was clearly a reference to Bitton, who struggled under sustained pressure from Astana.

The Israeli had played previous matches at the back alongside Jozo Simunovic but with the Croatian stopper sidelined and Bitton partnering Kristoffer Ajer, the centre of the defence looked soft from the start and Astana took advantage.

Given the injuries to Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko, Bitton's inclusion was a "needs must" decision that paid off in the end, however, it is not an option that guarantees success in the future.

Olivier Ntcham may be a new arrival at Celtic and commanded the biggest transfer fee they have paid this summer but he already looks like he has been in the team for years.

The 21-year old was one of Celtic's best performers on a night when a few were not at their best and his cool head was invaluable throughout.

The Frenchman put in a hard shift in the centre of the park but there was real quality to go along with the effort.

Composed in possession, he also contributed the decisive moment, scoring the goal that put any nerves to bed.

After shining in the play-off round, it will be revealing to see if he can maintain the same standards when everything moves up a level. On current form it looks more likely than not.

After being handed a nightmare group last year with Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic will be hoping for a kinder draw on Thursday.

That could be helped by a move up in the seeding groups and it looked like that was a real possibility with four ties offering up chances for a higher-rated team to be knocked out.

Olympiacos, Napoli and Sevilla all progressed, however, meaning Celtic will be bottom seeds unless Hoffenheim knock out Liverpool.

Julian Nagelsmann's team have a tough task in overturning a 2-1 home defeat when they visit Anfield but they will have some backing from Glasgow they did not expect.