The weight of history may comfort Gordon Strachan as Celtic put their Champions League ambitions on the line in the San Siro Stadium in a fortnight after a frustrating night saw the first knockout round first-leg match end goalless.

While that result may seem to favour the six-time winners, Celtic know only too well that the tie remains delicately balanced. When they last faced AC Milan over two legs, in the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1969, Jock Stein’s team earned a 0-0 draw in Milan, only for the Italian side to win 1-0 in Glasgow.

Celtic, especially the 20-year-old Darren O’Dea, defended resolutely and showed immense character, and the introduction of Thomas Gravesen made a real impact, the Dane coming close with an 85th-minute shot.

Strachan was sanguine about the result. “We are going to San Siro thinking we can do something here but we have to believe in ourselves more,” the Celtic manager said. “Our will not to get beaten was ten out of ten but our technical level was five. Milan are a top side and played pure football.”

Celtic have not progressed to this stage of the competition since the European Cup evolved into the Champions League and the sense of anticipation for the biggest match in the past three decades — the 2003 Uefa Cup final notwithstanding — was visible. Milan walked out on to the lush turf, almost swallowed up by the cavernous arena bathed in green and white as 60,000 voices delivered a spine-tingling rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

The biggest surprise for those Celtic supporters was that Gravesen had not been selected in the central midfield role. Strachan eschewed the experienced Dane for the teenager, Evander Sno, underlining Gravesen’s underwhelming contribution since arrving from Real Madrid last August.

Shunsuke Nakamura, in contrast, has been the jewel in Celtic’s midfield. The Japan playmaker’s reputation has soared over the course of this European campaign, with his stunning free kick goals against Manchester United.

So, when Nakamura stood over a free kick some 35 yards out after eight minutes, the Italian side were respectful. Nakamura whipped the ball into a dangerous area and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who crept in behind the visiting defence, just failed to get the vital touch that would surely have beaten Zeljko Kalac, the goalkeeper.

Paolo Maldini marked his 100th Champions League appearance in the wrong way when he was cautioned soon afterwards for a foul on Vennegoor of Hesselink and perhaps that played a part in the Milan captain’s reluctance to snap at Kenny Miller when Aiden McGeady released the striker. Maldini was grateful that Kalac kept Miller’s shot out.

Milan’s passing was crisp, despite a ferocious Celtic pressing game, and Andrea Pirlo carved the home defence open with a clever ball over the top but Celtic were spared by the finishing of Yoann Gourcuff.

Celtic’s desire to play the contest as high up the pitch as possible almost proved costly in the 26th minute when Milan conjured up a counter attack. Alberto Gilardino looked offside as he stole in behind the Celtic defence to gather Pirlo’s pass but no flag came from the linesman and Gilardino had the goal at his mercy. He ought to have squared the ball to Kaka but selfishly chose to shoot from an acute angle and Artur Boruc, the goalkeeper, produced a vital touch.

Six minutes before the interval, Nakamura created panic in the Milan ranks as a foul by Kaka Kaladze on Vennegoor of Hesselink allowed the Japanese player to show his dead-ball threat as he whipped a free kick from 30 yards over the wall that Kalac nervously pawed clear.

Celtic visibly increased their tempo in the second half and that led to several chances. Nakamura spotted McGeady in open space on the edge of the box in the 47th minute and the winger’s trickery earned enough room for a raking shot.

Milan responded with a searing counter-attack, the pacy Marek Jankulovski advancing into dangerous territory, finding Kaka, who in turn released Gennaro Gattuso with a measured pass. The former Rangers player skipped past O’Dea but skewed wide.

Celtic’s ambition, though, was underlined by the incessant progress towards Kalac’s goal. A fine move down the left wing, involving McGeady and Lee Naylor. The latter found Miller, whose turn threatened to open Milan before the ball broke back into the path of Naylor, whose fierce left shot flew narrowly wide of the top corner.

Miller was then brought down by Massimo Ambrosini — his last act before making way for Jiri Jarosik — on the edge of the box, but this time the angle was all wrong for Nakamura, who sliced his free kick wide. Then Nakamura’s penalty appeal in the 63rd minute was dismissed.

Celtic (4-4-2): A Boruc — M Wilson, S McManus, D O’Dea, L Naylor — S Nakamura, E Sno, N Lennon (sub: T Gravesen, 81min), A McGeady — J Vennegoor of Hesselink, K Miller (sub: J Jarosik, 63). Substitutes not used: M Brown, P Telfer, D Riordan, J Perrier Doumbe, J Kennedy. Booked: Nakamura.

AC Milan (4-4-1-1): Z Kalac — M Oddo, K Kaladze (sub: D Bonera, 64), P Maldini, M Jankulovski — Y Gourcuff, G Gattuso, A Pirlo, M Ambrosini — Kaká — A Gilardino (sub: R Oliveira, 77). Substitutes not used: M Storari, Cafu, A Costacurta, M Simic, C Brocchi. Booked: Maldini, Gilardino.

Referee: T Hauge (Norway).