The Champions League has a habit of attributing these inglorious episodes to Celtic. It’s hard to shake the idea that this big fish will always drown if taken from its small pond. Borussia Dortmund played the visitors in a match that was over as a match long before the half-time whistle blew. The Germans have won two out of two in this new format. They will be aiming to emulate last season’s memorable tournament run, albeit with much tougher tests than those ahead. This was like a grandmaster playing chess with an orangutan. Men against Bhoys.

Suddenly there is pressure on Celtic’s upcoming trip to Atalanta. The lack of appearances here undermined the oft-quoted sentiment that Celtic were better equipped for the Champions League than at any time in recent memory. It was a fragile, error-strewn display. Brendan Rodgers has now been in charge of three different Celtic teams that have lost seven goals in a single Champions League match. There are also a six and a five in the Rodgers record.

“It was a tough watch,” Rodgers admitted. “Such nights are tough, but at this level they can happen. You have to learn from it and move on. We had a lot of confidence, but we had to start the game much better than we did.”

European football’s governing body made a profit before a ball was kicked. A fine will inevitably be imposed after the teams appeared on giant banners in the Yellow Wall, labeling UEFA as ‘mafia’. Read the slogan below: “You don’t care about the sport, all you care about is money.” Pyrotechnics from the Celtic support will also lead to a penalty.

A crazy opening quickly diverted attention from what had happened in the stands. Celtic did exactly what they were so keen to avoid by giving Dortmund the impetus, only to worm their way back into the game and concede a second goal that was just as defensively soft as the home side’s first.

There was a fortune involved when Jamie Gittens won a penalty from the desperate Kasper Schmeichel. Gittens won the break from Celtic captain Callum McGregor when he broke from midfield. Still, the Dortmund man should have been stopped long ago before Schmeichel had to upend him. Emre Can’s reacquaintance with Rodgers, once his manager at Liverpool, was positive for the midfielder as he sent Schmeichel the wrong way from twelve yards.

Celtic’s response was immediate. A beautiful cross from Arne Engels from the right flank left Dortmund’s defense flat-footed. Daizen Maeda sneaked in to score – through his diaphragm – and looked to cause scenes among the visiting contingent.

That joy turned out to be short-lived. A third goal in four minutes came from Karim Adeyemi, who beat Auston Trusty for pace before using a deflection from the same defender to fire a shot past Schmeichel. In the first half, Dortmund cut Celtic open again and again with astonishing ease. In relation to the Scottish champions against Europe’s elite, this was eerily familiar.

Adeyemi, who was at the heart of everything that was good about Dortmund, took third place for his team. At this point Celtic were swinging the ropes. Again there was generosity involved; the kind that generally goes unpunished in Scotland. Celtic only half cleared a corner, with Adeyemi picking up the loose ball. Schmeichel clearly wasn’t expecting a shot, which flew past him at the near post from a tight angle.

Celtic had conceded four goals all season before this match. Another penalty resulted in the same result within 40 minutes. Engels carelessly kicked Adeyemi’s foot, leaving the referee no choice but to intervene. Adeyemi graciously passed up the chance for a hat-trick – he had counted on it anyway – with Serhou Guirassy doing the necessary this time.

At intermission there were five. Indeed, Adeyemi got the treble his excellence deserved, with a low drive after Maeda coughed up possession. Dortmund were ruthless. Celtic’s goal difference from the 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava was wiped out in one dizzying half. Rodgers believed his players were “shocked” during that opening period.

A disconsolate Adeyemi limped off three minutes after the restart. This felt like the biggest boost of Celtic’s night. Schmeichel turned Julien Duranville’s shot around a post as Dortmund chased their half-dozen. However, there was a noticeable drop in intensity from Nuri Sahin’s team. Their work was essentially done.

Number six did come. Alistair Johnston passed the ball straight to the opposition, which led to Guirassy facing Liam Scales. The Celtic centre-back was comfortably beaten before Guirassy wrong-footed Schmeichel. Further comic defending brought Dortmund into seventh place. Trusty, who endured a torrid time, gave the ball away. Felix Nmecha returned it with interest. That’s where Celtic’s latest horror show ends.