Match Pictures | Matches: 2024 – 2025
Trivia
- KO: 20:00 UK time, Wednesday, TNT Sports TV
- Champions League Playoff leg 1 of 2
- Bayern Munich were seeded so get to play second leg at their home.
- Kuhn scored after just 45 seconds to send the Celtic support into raptures BUT the goal was ruled out with Idah interfering. Kuhn used to be at Bayern Munich but failed to win a first team game.
- German legend Michael Ballack believes Celtic were denied a clear penalty against his former club Bayern in the second half of their first leg.
- Arne Engels denied a penalty after VAR review. Harsh not given.
- Celtic added Jota, Jeffrey Schlupp and Johnny Kenny to the Champions League squad after departure/loan out of four players!
- Celtic successfully appealed Daizen Maeda’s two match suspension. The original suspension reduced to one match, meaning Daizen available to play. Daizen Maeda … so fast, it only takes him one game to serve a two game ban‼
- Celtic could face another Uefa fine over a government banner displayed about the Israeli government in the Green Brigades Ultra section during the Champions League play-off first leg against Bayern Munich.
- Get well soon to ex-Celt, Paul Byrne, who is recovering from a recent heart attack…we wish Paul all the best in his recovery.
- Royal Antwerp star Michel-Ange Balikwisha has revealed he turned down a move to Celtic last month because he didn’t want to go when he was injured.
- Financials: Celtic’s accounts are the starkest of reminders of how far ahead they are in the Scottish football ecosystem. The off-field results for the six months ended December 31, 2024 are exceptionally healthy. Celtic brought in revenues of £83.5 million and made an overall profit before taxation of £43.9m. There are cash reserves of £65m, although that is down £12m from June. Quite simply, financially this is a club in rude health.
- UEFA Youth League: RB SALZBURG 1 (Moser 57) CELTIC 1 (Ure 58) RB Salzburg win 4-2 on penalties Celtic FC B suffered penalty shoot-out defeat in Austria, narrowly losing out to RB Salzburg.
- Munich: Day after this match, At least 20 injured, at least two seriously, after a car drove into group in Munich. Local reports say the car drove into a trade union demonstration The incident comes the day before the Munich Security Conference – US Vice-President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive in the city later today.
Summary
“We have to win. I think that’s obvious”
Callum McGregor pre match
“What is important for us is that we’re very much alive in the tie going over to Germany. “But we want to go and perform. We’re not frightened to lose. That’s not what this is about. “This is about performing and if we can perform well, like we’ve shown in this competition, especially at home, hopefully we can get what we deserve.”
Brendan Rodgers prematch
“The last 25 minutes, we started to press the game, we were more active at the top end of the pitch and you see what it brought – aggression. Our football starts to come alive and then we get the goal. At 2-1, Bayern Munich are hanging on. That’s what we can take from it. We’ve got one more shot. It’s a new level for a lot of the players, they’ve done absolutely great. Let’s go and have no regrets and see where it takes us. We’ve shown we can play football and be a threat. We’re still right in the tie. With their quality and the number of goals they can score, sometimes these can be out of sight but that wasn’t the case at all.”
Brendan Rodgers post-match
“Celtic finished the stronger team. It took until after Bayern eased off after scoring their second goal but Celtic showed their resilience and ended up taking the game to them – they were much braver in the final third in the closing stages.”
Chris Sutton (ex-Celt)
‘Celtic losing soft touch aspect’published at
FT: Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich
Tom English
BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer on Sportsound
I know one was away and one was at home, but compare Celtic’s strength under pressure tonight to their desperate vulnerability when routed by Dortmund earlier in the campaign.
Unless something truly spectacular happens in the second leg then they are going out of the Champions League but they’re slowly but surely losing that soft touch aspect in their game that they had under Brendan Rodgers first time around and Ange Postecoglou.
They have a balance between discipline at the back and commitment to attack that works for them now. They’ve improved, no doubt about it. This was the ultimate test of that so far. Another massive one next week.
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Formation: 4 – 3 – 3
01 K. Schmeichel
03 G. Taylor, subbed for J. Schlupp at 65mins
06 A. Trusty
20 C. Carter-Vickers
02 A. Johnston
41 R. Hatate
42 C. McGregor (c), Captain
27 A. Engels
38 D. Maeda
09 A. Idah, subbed for Jota at 65mins
10 N. Kühn, subbed for Yang Hyun-Jun at 77mins
Subs:
29 S. Bain
24 J. Kenny
14 L. McCowan
47 D. Murray
17 M. Nawrocki
07 Jota
56 A. Ralston
05 L. Scales
15 J. Schlupp
12 V. Sinisalo
13 Yang Hyun-Jun
Goals:
D. Maeda (79′)
Assists:
Yang Hyun-Jun (79′)
Bayern Munich
Manager: Vincent Kompany
Formation: 4 – 2 – 3 – 1
01 M. Neuer (c), Captain
22 Raphaël Guerreiro, subbed for H. Ito at 78mins
15 E. Dier
02 D. Upamecano
27 K. Laimer
08 L. Goretzka
06 J. Kimmich
10 L. Sané, subbed for K. Coman at 65mins
42 J. Musiala, subbed for T. Müller at 87mins
17 M. Olise, subbed for S. Gnabry at 65mins
09 H. Kane
Subs:
23 S. Boey
28 T. Buchmann
11 K. Coman
07 S. Gnabry
21 H. Ito
03 Kim Min-Jae
25 T. Müller
45 A. Pavlović
44 J. Stanišić
26 S. Ulreich
40 J. Urbig
24 G. Vidović
Goals:
M. Olise (45′)
H. Kane (49′)
Assists:
J. Kimmich (49′)
Referee Jesús Gil Manzano
Video Assistant Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande
Assistant Referee 1 Diego Barbero Sevilla
Assistant Referee 2 Ángel Nevado Rodríguez
Fourth Official José Luis Munuera Montero
Assistant VAR Official Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins
Att:
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
Overall possession
Celtic 43.1% Bayern Munich 56.9%
Celtic 1.3429 Bayern Munich 0.9416
Shots
Celtic 9 Bayern Munich 10
Shots on target
Celtic 2 Bayern Munich 5
Total touches inside the box
Celtic 20 Bayern Munich 29
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 3 Bayern Munich 1
Fouls
Celtic 4 Bayern Munich 4
Corners
Celtic 7 Bayern Munich 7
Advanced match stats
Shots
Celtic 9 Bayern Munich 10
Shots on target
Celtic 2 Bayern Munich 5
Shots off target
Celtic 3 Bayern Munich 3
Blocked shots
Celtic 4 Bayern Munich 2
Attempts out of box
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 4
Total offside
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 4
xG from open play
Celtic 0.4748 Bayern Munich 0.3272
xG from set play
Celtic 0.8681 Bayern Munich 0.6144
Celtic 0.967773 Bayern Munich 0.959119
xA from open play
Celtic 0.892305 Bayern Munich 0.757691
xA from set play
Celtic 0.075467 Bayern Munich 0.201425
Total tackles
Celtic 18 Bayern Munich 10
Won tackles
Celtic 8 Bayern Munich 6
Fouls
Celtic 4 Bayern Munich 4
Total clearances
Celtic 27 Bayern Munich 26
Headed clearances
Celtic 14 Bayern Munich 13
Duels won
Celtic 38 Bayern Munich 26
Errors leading to shots
Celtic 0 Bayern Munich 1
Total passes
Celtic 487 Bayern Munich 654
Accurate passes
Celtic 427 Bayern Munich 596
Backward passes
Celtic 71 Bayern Munich 129
Forward passes
Celtic 141 Bayern Munich 164
Total long balls
Celtic 29 Bayern Munich 41
Successful final third passes
Celtic 58 Bayern Munich 147
Total crosses
Celtic 18 Bayern Munich 15
Touches
Celtic 657 Bayern Munich 819
Touches in the box
Celtic 20 Bayern Munich 29
Dispossessed
Celtic 2 Bayern Munich 8
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 3 Bayern Munich 1
Diving saves
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 0
Saved shots from inside the box
Celtic 2 Bayern Munich 1
Saved shots from outside the box
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 0
Keeper throws
Celtic 6 Bayern Munich 5
Goal kicks
Celtic 5 Bayern Munich 4
Punches
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 0
Pre match facts
Celtic have faced Bayern Munich on four previous occasions in European competition, going winless across all four in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League (D1 L3).
Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last 13 matches against Scottish sides in major European competition (W9 D4), with their last such defeat coming against Hearts in the UEFA Cup in February 1989 (0-1).
Celtic have won just one of their 12 UEFA Champions League/ European Cup clashes with German opposition (D3 L8), although that victory did come in the most recent one, against RB Leipzig in November in the group stages of the Champions League.
Celtic have won just one of their last 21 games in European competition against teams who have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, beating Feyenoord 2-1 in December 2023 (D4 L16).
Bayern Munich have lost three of their four away matches (W1) in the UEFA Champions League this season. Should Celtic earn a victory here, it would be the first time the German side have lost four away games in a single campaign in major European competition.
Bayern Munich made the most high turnovers (120) of any team during the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League, while they turned 21 of those into shots (joint-most). Meanwhile, only five teams have suffered more high turnovers against them than Celtic (79) in the competition this term.
Articles
Celts battle Bayern all the way in UCL clash at Paradise
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/february/12/celts-battle-bayern-all-the-way-in-ucl-clash-at-paradise/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
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12 Feb 2025, 10:01 pm
UEFA Champions League
Knockout phase play-off first leg
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC… 1
(Maeda 79)
BAYERN MUNICH… 2
(Olise 45, Kane 49)
Celtic produced a heroic performance against a top-quality Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg, but it was the German side who will take an advantage into next week’s return leg at the Allianz Arena with a 2-1 win at Paradise.
The atmosphere inside Celtic Park at kick-off was typically electric and within 30 seconds of kick-off, Celtic had the ball in the back of the net.
The ball was fed out to Nicolas Kuhn on the right flank, and the winger cut inside and fired in a low shot from the edge of the area that flew by Bayern goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer.
Paradise erupted but the celebrations were cut short by an offside flag, with Adam Idah in an offside position and deemed to be interfering with the keeper’s view.
It was a let-off for Bayern and the visitors soon settled into the game, enjoying good spells on possession without creating too many chances.
The first of those came in the 12th minute when Harry Kane and Michael Olise combined well on the edge of the area, but the Frenchman’s shot was well-saved by Kasper Schmiechel.
Celtic continued to look dangerous on the break but were having to work hard defensively against their German opponents.
Just after the half-hour mark, Schmeichel produced a superb save to block a Kane header from six yards out, although had it gone in, it would have been ruled out for offside.
And with three minutes of the first-half remaining, the English internationalist had a great opportunity at the back post from a corner, but his header hit the side-netting.
But just when it looked as though Celtic would go in level at the break, Bayern struck in the 45th minute.
A cross-field pass found Olise who controlled the ball and cut inside before unleashing a powerful shot from just inside the area that flew beyond Schmeichel and into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 to Bayern.
43%
Possession
57%
9
Shots
10
2
Shots On Target
5
7
Corners
7
4
Fouls
4
0
0
Cards
0
0
Having taken the lead on the stroke of half-time, Bayern came out after the break intent on extending their lead and Joshua Kimmich had an effort saved after just 40 seconds.
Three minutes later Leroy Sane’s shot was deflected wide for a corner, and it was from that set-piece that the German side made it 2-0.
A ball to the back post found an unmarked Harry Kane who followed it into the net from six yards out.
Celtic pressed forward in search of a goal and a way back into the game, and a minute after Kane’s goal, Reo Hatate had a shot from an Arne Engels’ cutback which was blocked.
There was a length VAR check in the 55th minute for a possible penalty after a challenge on Engels inside the area, but the decision didn’t go in Celtic’s favour.
As the game passed the hour mark, Celtic began to find a way back into the game and Engels was carving some quality passes through the Bayern defence.
However, Celtic still needed Kasper Schmeichel in the 71 minute to deny substitute Serge Gnabry, who hit a low shot from inside the area which was well-saved.
With Adam Idah going off, Daizen Maeda switched to a central attacking role, and he latched on to a slack back pass and knocked the ball round Manuel Neuer, but he couldn’t steer his shot on target.
However, the Japanese forward wasn’t to be denied, and on 79 minutes he headed home from a couple of yards out after a knock-on from Yang to make it 2-1 with his 22nd goal of the season.
And Celtic almost created a chance for an equaliser just moments later when Alistair Johnston’s crossfield pass almost evaded the Bayern defence and found Jota, but the Germans managed to clear the danger.
As Celtic heaped on more pressure, Hatate had a shot from inside the area was blocked, and then in the 90th minute, Yang knocked the ball into the path of Johnston, whose goalbound shot was pushed behind by Neuer.
However, there was to be no late equaliser for the Hoops, despite continued pressure in the seven added minutes at the end of the game.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor (Schlupp 65′), Engels, McGregor, Hatate, Kühn (Hyunjun Yang 77′), Idah (Jota 65′), Maeda
Subs: Scales, Jota, Sinisalo, Hyunjun Yang, McCowan, Schlupp, Nawrocki, Kenny, Bain, Murray, Ralston
FC Bayern: Neuer, Laimer, Upamecano, Dier, Raphaël Guerreiro (Ito 78′), Kimmich, Goretzka, Olise (Gnabry 65′), Musiala (Müller 87′), Sané (Coman 65′), Kane
Subs: Kim, Gnabry, Coman, Ito, Boey, Vidovic, Müller, Ulreich, Buchmann, Urbig, Stanisic, Pavlovic
Celtic have Champions League pulse despite Munich roadblock as Harry Kane completes a Glasgow hat-trick
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-news/celtic-have-champions-league-pulse-despite-munich-roadblock-as-harry-kane-completes-a-glasgow-hat-trick-4988596
Mark Atkinson
By Mark Atkinson
Sports Editor
Comments
Published 12th Feb 2025, 22:40 GMT
Celtic travel to Germany with a one-goal deficit
Celtic’s Champions League journey this season has been laudable but they have come against a proper roadblock in Bayern Munich. Nevertheless, after manager Brendan Rodgers saying he wanted this play-off to still be “alive” going into next week’s second leg, his team travels to Bavaria with a pulse.
Daizen Maeda resuscitated Celtic on a rousing night in the east end of Glasgow with his 79th-minute goal to mean they are staring only at 2-1 deficit heading to Germany. Bayern looked completely in control with one foot in the last 16 after strikes from Michael Olise and Harry Kane, only for the Japanese – suspended for this game up until Monday’s night successful appeal – to step up.
Even so, Celtic will require the mother of all turnarounds in Bavaria. Bayern are an ogre on their own patch, Celtic so rarely win on the road outside of Scotland. The final is at Bayern’s home ground and there is clearly a burning desire to right the wrongs of the 2012 denouement, when they lost to Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on penalties.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda scores to give Celtic a lifeline in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda scores to give Celtic a lifeline in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group) | SNS Group
There had been some speculation that Bayern boss Vincent Kompany would pick a team with Saturday’s top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash with nearest rivals Bayer Leverkusen in mind, but the only glaring omission was defender Kim Minjae. After away defeats at Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord in the league phase, Bayern were taking this Glasgow assignment seriously.
Thirty seconds were on the clock when an already heady Celtic Park was sent into a complete frenzy. Nicolas Kuhn cut on to his left foot and whipped the ball past Manuel Neuer. Alas, Adam Idah had jumped over the ball from an offside position. The ear-splitting noise evaporated into the cold night sky.
It was to be Celtic’s only moment of note in a one-sided first half. Bayern dominated the ball with 65 per cent possession and a high press, patiently jabbing away at Celtic’s defences, looking for an opening. Olise had Bayern’s first shot of note on 13 minutes after evading Auston Trusty, but Kasper Schmeichel saved. Leroy Sane was gliding all over the pitch in and out of possession and so nearly connected with a neat Jamal Musiala chip to net, before Kane headed straight at Schmeichel’s feet from a promising position.
Celtic would do well to enter the sheds level. Kane missed again from a close-range header on 43 minutes but just as the clock struck 45, Bayern had their opener. It was made in France: Dayot Upamecano’s cross-field pass, Olise got past Greg Taylor with the help of ricochet and lashed an unstoppable left-footed shot past Schmeichel. It was a cruel blow on the stroke of half time, but it was hardly undeserved.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 over Celtic. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 over Celtic. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group
Bayern came out after the interval knowing that they could put this tie to bed here and now. They took just four minutes to deliver a haymaker, so simple in its delivery. Joshua Kimmich curled in a corner and Kane peeled away from the Celtic defence and volleyed home with his left-foot. In the process, the England captain completed the Glasgow set: goals at Hampden, Ibrox and now Parkhead.
Celtic, however, rallied from the ropes. Reo Hatate’s effort from just outside the box was scrambled away before the hosts were nearly awarded a penalty when VAR advised Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano to check a possible award when Upamecano and Arne Engels tangled. The official stuck with his original inkling of no foul.
With Jota introduced in the hope of inspiring a Celtic revival, Maeda latched on to a stray backpass on 72 minutes to round Neuer but the angle was too tight. Just beforehand, Schmeichel saved well from a Serge Gnabry effort. A third Bayern goal was just as likely as Celtic halving the deficit.
Yet it was Celtic who struck on 79 minutes. Trusty kept a corner alive, substitute Yang Hyun-jun fired the ball across goal and Maeda – who else – nodded the ball home from close range. It was his 22nd goal of his rich season and re-ignited the crowd.
Hatate had a shot blocked again and Celtic searched for a previously improbable leveller. For the first time, Bayern looked rattled. Jota spooned the ball over on 85 minutes but called for the crowd to turn up the noise.
In the first of seven minutes of stoppage time, Alistair Johnston rampaged forward from right-back and forced Neuer to turn the ball over. Bayern were put under duress, but held on to their lead. The Germans are expected to kill off Celtic on Tuesday but the Scottish champions showed they are up for the biggest fight of their season.
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cdjdpj007y3t?page=7#Report
Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland
Daizen Maeda’s deft header kept Celtic’s hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 alive, despite the Scottish Premiership side falling to defeat against Bayern Munich in Glasgow.
Japan international Maeda, whose suspension for the first leg was only overturned on Monday, hauled Brendan Rodgers’ side back into a tie which appeared beyond them after goals either side of the break for Bayern.
Michael Olise’s outrageous strike on the stroke of half-time set Vincent Kompany’s side on their way to a much-deserved win after a dominant performance.
The Hammersmith-born France international hammered a ferocious shot high past Kasper Schmeichel after cutting in from the right and leaving Greg Taylor for dust.
It was the sickest of sucker-punches for Celtic, but it lifted Bayern, who roared out of the traps in the second half.
England captain Harry Kane was left, inexplicably, unmarked at the back post to volley in his 29th goal in 29 games this season and seventh in this competition.
Kane supplied warning shots in the first half, smashing into the side netting and forcing Schmeichel into a superb save – though he was ruled offside – but Celtic didn’t take heed.
The Bundesliga leaders did of their earlier warning, though. They had been stunned inside 30 seconds when former Bayern youngster Nicolas Kuhn shifted inside and swept past Manuel Neuer from 25 yards.
However, an offside flag halted the cacophonous celebrations inside Celtic Park after the offside Adam Idah was deemed to have obstructed Neuer’s view.
It proved a precursor to a frustrating evening for Celtic but one from which they emerge with their hopes of reaching the last 16 still, just, alive ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
Media caption,
‘Outstanding finishing’ – Olise puts Bayern 1-0 up
Celtic’s resilience proves progress
Celtic’s first defeat in the competition this season was a drubbing in Dortmund. A match where they fell behind to a German giant and folded.
But as this campaign has continued, they’ve grown in quality and character. The latter of those was especially on show here.
Once again they came under intense pressure from feted European side, but this time they didn’t buckle.
Maeda flashed a ball across the face after darting in front of Neuer, while Reo Hatate also had a sight of goal, as Rodgers’ side attempted to yank themselves back into the tie.
For a few moments, Arne Engels even thought he might have an opportunity from the spot when he was caught by Dayot Upamecano but, after a lengthy VAR wait, that possibility disappeared.
It could have been so very different had Idah shimmied out of the path of Kuhn’s strike inside the first minute, but even the start in itself was a sign of progress.
Celtic didn’t start scared or respectful – they kicked off with intent.
It’s still a mountain to climb in Munich next week, but, they head out with a hint of hope instead of fearing another hiding in Germany.
Bayern’s brilliance beams through
Media caption,
Kane puts Bayern 2-0 up against Celtic
The play-offs weren’t in the plans for Bayern and, at times, Kompany’s classy bunch showed why.
Olise was outstanding, and on another night could have scored more than once. Kane continued his relentless run of goalscoring. Leroy Sane starred among stars.
Bayern did to Celtic what Celtic do to most other teams domestically. They passed with speed, moved with elegance, and stretched their opponents repeatedly.
They have struggled on the road this season in Europe, with defeats at Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord, but a fourth wasn’t on the cards here.
The final of this competition is in Munich and, while Bayern have had to take a bit of a detour via these play-offs, they will still fancy their chances of ending the season in the showpiece game in their home ground.
Match stats
Bayern have progressed from their last 13 Champions League knockout ties after winning the first leg.
Celtic’s home unbeaten run in all competitions has come to end after 33 matches. This was their first defeat since losing to Hearts in December 2023.
Since the start of last season, Harry Kane has scored more goals than any other player in Europe’s big five leagues across all competitions (73).
Kane has been involved in 46 Champions League goals (36 goals, 10 assists) – the only Englishmen with more are David Beckham (52 -16 goals, 36 assists) and Wayne Rooney (47 -30 goals, 17 assists).
Kane has scored 19 goals against Kasper Schmeichel for club and country, five more than against any other goalkeeper.
This was Brendan Rodgers’ first Champions League knockout match as a manager, with his first 32 all coming in the group stage. Only Fatih Terim (37th game) has had a longer wait than Rodgers (33rd game).
Daizen Maeda is the first Japanese player to score four Champions League goals in a single season, while he’s also the first Celtic player to score four goals in a season in the competition.
Manuel Neuer became the oldest Bayern player to appear in a Champions League knockout match (38 years, 322 days), overtaking Lothar Matthaus in the 1999 final (38 years, 66 days).
Watch highlights of every Champions League g