AN impressive team performance on Thursday night secured all three points against CFR Cluj on matchday two of the UEFA Europa League group stages.

Goals from Odsonne Edouard and Mohamed Elyounoussi gave Neil Lennon’s side a 2-0 win, and they will look forward with confidence to the next tie – a home match against Lazio on October 24.

And the manager was delighted with the way his team performed against a side who had won 4-3 on their previous visit to Celtic Park back in August, in a Champions League qualifier. That game still represents Celtic’s only defeat this season.

“The players have just got more familiar with each,” he said, “they’ve played more games with each other and there was obviously, maybe in the back of their minds, a little bit of retribution for the defeat.

“You want to make Celtic Park a really difficult place for opposition teams to come, and the players are doing that.

“What they got on Thursday night was a real experience of what it can really be like in terms of atmosphere and authenticity of a big stadium and the rawness in the air. You can almost smell the big-game atmosphere and they responded to that very well.

“Obviously, we’ve made personnel changes and strengthened the squad at the end of the window, so the likes of Fraser Forster’s come in, Elhamed’s up to speed, Bolingoli’s up to speed. Jullien, Elyounoussi, so we had four or five players who were brought in from July who were playing against Cluj, which is very pleasing.

“Sometimes you just have to be patient. Players have to adapt to the expectations, which is sometimes a little bit different and I think some of them took a bit longer than others, which is natural, but now we’re seeing them in full flow and they’re showing that they’re good players at a very high level.

“So we’re very pleased with the progress that we’re making but like I said after the Cluj game, it’s still the very embryonic stages of the season and we know that there will be a few dips here and there. But in terms of consistency in the level of performance, they’ve been absolutely excellent over the past two months.”

In the heart of the Celtic midfield on Thursday night were two of the most experienced players in the squad, with Scott Brown and Callum McGregor controlling the game from first minute to last. And ably assisted by Ryan Christie playing further forward in the No.10 role, it was a triumphant triumvirate for the Hoops.

“Callum’s a class player and he’s one of the players who you rely on, week in, week out,” said the Celtic manager. “But I don’t take his performances for granted. He’s just consistently so good and in particular, in the two group games so far, he’s been absolutely outstanding.

“He’s such an important pivotal player to the way we want to play and, he’s a player coming into his real peak now.

“Ryan’s incredible and that just comes from within, that desire. Not only is he a quality player, a technical player, a creative player, his work-rate is fantastic and it’s a great tone for the rest of the team.

“And Scott Brown is just invaluable at any level for me in the team. Again, he’s playing at an outstanding level, and at 34 it doesn’t look like his strengths or running power are diminishing at all. He thrives on the big-game atmosphere, and he and Callum gave us a brilliant platform on Thursday night.”

Manager's praise for his squad as Hoops top two leagues