EVEN the greatest journeys start with a single modest step, and this was about as modest a setting as you could imagine for Celtic’s opening friendly of pre-season. As it turned out, the opposition were pretty modest too.

The remote town of Bad Erlach played host to the Scottish champions, or at least a more than passable imitation of them, as a mix of youth and experience took apart Austrian legend Toni Polster’s third-tier Wiener Viktoria in the sunshine of Celtic’s picturesque training base.

The international players, including captain Callum McGregor, as well as Jota were given the night off, but Celtic still had more than plenty to spare, hitting seven goals without reply.

Even here, there were a handful of Celtic fans who had found there way to the Sportarena des SV Bad Erlach, and they were rewarded for their long journey by being given a first glimpse of new signing Alexandro Bernabei.

The £3.75m left-back was handed his Celtic debut by manager Ange Postecoglou and was straight into the action, winning the ball high up the pitch and drawing applause from the large contingent of teammates watching from the small pavilion.

He looked comfortable on the ball too, dropping into the central positions where Postecoglou likes his full-backs to operate and linking well early on with Mikey Johnston ahead of him. Added to that, he showed a great turn of pace, and a decent range of passing too during his 45 minutes on the pitch. All-in-all, a very promising bow from the 21-year-old.

As for the rest of the action, Johnston was the most impressive Celt on display, setting up three goals and getting one of his own. This wouldn’t be the first pre-season that Johnston has shone only for other factors – chiefly injuries – to hamper his progress, but there is no doubting the ability he possesses.

Celtic took the lead after nine minutes as a quick throw-in from Reo Hatate on the left found Johnston in space in the area, and the winger did well to pick out young Johnny Kenny with a low cross at the back post to tap home.

It was two a couple of minutes later, as James Forrest turned provider from the opposite flank, picking out the run of Hatate at the edge of the area, where the midfielder produced a composed finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

Bernabei then showed his own attacking instincts as he burst into the box to get onto the end of a clever Yosuke Ideguchi pass, only being denied a debut goal by a decent low save from the Viktoria keeper.

The third wasn’t long in coming though, as a crunching Bosun Lawal tackle broke for Johnston, who ran in behind and slotted home, before Kenny added fourth 25 minutes in with an instinctive finish after a slip from the hapless Austrian defence.

Surprisingly, it took until three minutes before half-time before Celtic got their fifth, Kenny heading Johnston’s cross off the post and Chris Jullien following in to head into the empty net. The sixth came a minute later, Johnston again the provider with a nice assist for Forrest to tuck home.

Ben Siegrist was given his debut at the break, as the lesser-spotted Albian Ajeti was also given a run-out, alongside youngsters Matthew Anderson, Ben Summers and Rocco Vata. Josh Dede, Liam Shaw and Owen Moffat would also get some game-time, with Shaw hitting a post soon after coming on.

Vata would make his mark late on, racing in behind to control a ball over the top and produce a lovely finish high into the top corner to round off a more than satisfactory night’s work for Postecoglou’s men.