Celtic suffered a 1-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff game last night, but there was plenty to be encouraged by in the performance and tactical maturity on display.
The game offered up few genuine chances, an outcome determined by Celtic, who were refused to expose their defence throughout the match. By the end of the game, the shot count favoured Bayern by only one attempt.
The goals which were conceded, were not a consequence of in-play tactical failings. Right on halftime, Olise got a break of the ball off Greg Taylor, before smashing an outstanding shot into the top corner of the goal. Celtic switched off at a corner kick for the second four minutes after the break. For the bulk of those minutes, both teams were camped inside the Celtic box waiting for two consecutive corners, the first delayed for Auston Trusty to receive treatment. Defences are prone to switch off after a delay.
Nicolas Kuhn finished a brilliant move 25 seconds into the game by thrashing a shot past Neuer in the Bayern goal. The goal was correctly chopped off as the ball passed through Adam Idah’s legs, while the striker was in an offside position. It was the fourth Celtic goal chopped off in the last two home Champions League games.
On another night, Celtic would have been awarded a penalty which Arne Engels foot was stamped on. VAR took several minutes before asking the referee to review. The ref seemed struck by indecision and delayed the game further before favouring the German side.
Bayern seemed in control until the final 15 minutes. For the remainder of the game, including 7 minutes added time, Celtic battered on the Bayern door. The deluge started when Daizen Maeda nipped in front of Manuel Neuer, rounded the keeper but found the angle too acute to get a shot on target.
This lifted confidence and a few moments later Celtic were back in the tie. Alistair Johnston met an Engels corner at the front post, Trusty headed the ball goalwards for Yang, who knocked it onto the head of the man of the moment, Maeda, to score from 3 yards.
It was all Celtic now. Johnston forced a wonderful save from Neuer, Reo Hatate had a shot deflected off the line for a corner, while Jota made the most of his late-game cameo.
It was the most disciplined performance I recall seeing from a Celtic team. Even chasing the game in the 97th minute, the ball was always treated with respect. On one occasion, Cameron Carter-Vickers played left back from 3 minutes following a Celtic corner, rather than sprint back into position and risk leaving a gap. There has been growth in this Celtic team since early in the campaign, credit to Brendan Rodgers and the players.
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Allo!
Cheerio!
That’s a good summation Paul. A great performance from the Celtic last night.
An excellent performance against a tier one side. A night decided by very fine margins. Add KT and a fit Jota to that side and I think we get at least a draw.
BR has been backed for the most part and we’re seeing the results. We belong at this level. We’ve come a helluva long way in 18 months.
Yip, no disagreement from me, Paul. It was disappointing to lose the game but encouraging to see the team show further improvement against what is a top side.
Let’s see how we fare away from home.
There has been growth in this Celtic team since early in the campaign, credit to Brendan Rodgers and the players.
has the blog been hacked ?
I didn’t think so at half time but after 97 minutes yes I think that sums it up well.
Venue:
Celtic Park
Attendance:
57,406
I completely disagree with that summation. I thought it was a poor performance from Celtic and they finished the game with no more than they deserved.
How can any team playing at home in front of 60,000 fans – who were buoyed up at the start – expect to win a game when they only turn for the last 15 minutes?
The team, no doubt playing to instruction, let themselves and the fans down. Last night had the makings of a wonderful opportunity but they let it tamely pass them by.
A score line of 1-2 makes it sound close, but it wasn’t. And that’s the pity, for if they had approached the game the way they did the Leipzig game then it could have been so different. Rodgers called it wrong.
Tremendous performance against top opposition, could have got a draw,Michael Ballack said it was a stonewall penalty
Celtic done very well, Rodgers hasn’t let anyone down, he is not to blame for 2 players going for the same cross neither getting a touch or the luck Olise got for the chance to hit a wonderful shot, Idah wandered offside, poor from him when he can see Kuhn in space lining up a shot, if anyone thinks Bayern Munich weren’t going to have the majority of the ball and pin us back then they have elite level expectations from an SPL team, we are trying to improve under severe financial inequalities against these teams, not to mention officialdom who couldnt even spot a clear corner when Idah challenged their player and the suspect award of the corner for Kane’s goal which went through the Celtic players legs, he was giving us hee haw and ignored a cynical foul by Goretska stopping a breakaway attack from us, which should have been a yellow card, it would have been for us, lets see which officials we get next week , with the tie being close they will be hand picked.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qwxvw819qo.amp
Lovely gesture from Seamus
Praiseworthy article Paul – or your ghost writer ;)
Listening to BRs comments, he himself did mention some disappointment with our first half passivity.
But there was lots to like in the mostly disciplined way we defended; stout but not desperate or ragged.
Still can’t countenance who deserted the ‘mark that Kane bloke who keeps scoring’ responsibility.
The camera almost suggested it was Arne’s toe that nipped the ball; the ref was a warmer at times.
Dare to dream of an overturn in the next leg.
AMNESIACS CSC
The ref allowed the game to flow at levels we are not accustomed to, where he let himself down was set piece awards.
Jasper said openly (interviewed with his Dad on CBS) that the penalty would have been given at the other end – I agree.
Still – a single goal defeat against a side with this talent is no disgrace. If we had taken it to them at the start the outcome could have been ugly.
Technically?….we are still in this and need a big rub of the green next Tuesday. 🍀
itsabouttim on 13th February 2025 12:21 pm
“if they had approached the game the way they did the Leipzig game then it could have been so different.”
Aye, we could have been battered 1-7 and punished for any error in our high press – their goalie’s distribution was immense and every player receiving the ball in their team seemed to instantly control and either pass or be able to turn and cause damage, if we left space for them to do so.
Part of me would love to have seen more front foot play, more aggression and attacking and less passive containment. Without having 11 elite level athletes with Maeda’s stamina, pace and recovery I think we’d end up possibly looking okay for a while but would then run out of steam then get picked off. We played for about 5-10 minutes in the first half and 15-20 in the second. That we had similar chances to BM for all their possession I think is where the praise is coming from; though equally frustration too.
We got beaten by the better team, they deserved the win but we can still be proud of the team’s efforts and a draw wouldn’t have been a robbery even though I don’t think we deserved the draw on the night despite the obvious positives compared to recent history in the competition.
I thought the insight offered by Ronan O’Gara prior to the Scotland v Ireland game at the weekend was very good.
When asked about the difference between coaching at club level versus international/elite level he said at most club games there will be 5 “average” players in each team. At elite level there may be 1. A team will identify that individual and go after him relentlessly.
I’m guessing the same logic will also apply to Champions League football.
disciplined, mature, difficult to get through, stopping them is as important as scoring ourselves.
they had 30 touches insiide the box, celtic had 20.
people wanted us to compete, show progress, get better,
surely surely , a close 1 goal defeat is just that, against the runaway leaders in the bundesliga,
i wasnt sitting at anytime thinking, they are taking us apart, or even we are getting away with things here.
i did think though, hhow fast was everyone of their defenders,
all that said, i dont think a single player of ours could replace anyone of theirs.
minorty of one here, but i really thought adam was trying to pull the central defender wide to get out the road for kuhn, making a space, just unfortunate the ball came through him.
their gfirst goal, a lucky rochochet, not a defensive calamity.
their 2nd, now that was bad defending, how does he get that much space, who is meant to be on him.
its a funny thing but anoye saying “brendan should have doene this or set up like that, or played this one instead2 your all talking mince,
he called it right, i am happy not to be humiliated, and instead take a lot of pride in that performance.
kyogo wasnt missed, imho.
now munich, do not go gung ho either that would be disasterous.
on to united, maybe finally the celtic support can turn up and enjoy the occasion.
If it’s 0-0 at HT in Munich, they will be worried
Quite disappointed in our support last night we get a lot of rhetoric said and written about CP on a CL night but most people sat on their hands until we scored.
The first half was a very different watch to what we are used to, but apart from the pre match 10 minutes and first 5 it was very quiet and not encouraging to the players.
The whole ground has to take responsibility.
The GB were really poor and eye openingly quiet.
On nights like that we need off the cuff singing and not dirge like drum beating. I was above them in section 412 and they offered little noise.
We have become so reliant on them as a support that when they’re not at their best we are anonymous.
Last night was huge but the fans didn’t turn up. Not like usual.
ps.
my german ex colleagues have all said we should have had a penalty, and that the ref got several calls wrong and all in favour of bayern.
Big Jimmy on 13th February 2025 8:34 am
ordinary joe on 13th February 2025 1:29 am
………………
What happened to YOUR 9 – 0 PREDICTION for Bayern last night ?
How much did YOU LOSE with the Bookies on Bayern to win 9 – 0 ?
I will bet good money that YOU didnt put on ANY Money on Bayern to win 9 – 0.
Yer just a BAWBAG CHUMP.
Help. Required,Everytime I come on to blog I have to log in ,even if it’s only 5 minutes since I logged in before ?
I am gonna ASSUME that many Hun fans had Bayern to win by 3/4/5 goals last night with the Bookies ?
So I will also take a little pleasure in assuming that very few ( IF ANY) Hun fans had the Correct Score of 1 – 2 to Bayern on their Betting Slips, so many Huns would have LOST Cash on the Correct Score.
Although I always hope that the Huns get beat in any game, they do manage to win some games, but I am always hopeful that IF the Huns are gonna win a game, I hope that the opposition score the 1st Goal to feck up the Hun fans bets….and/or for the game to finish at 3 – 2 for the Huns etc, as not many of their fans will predict that the Hun players will LOSE Two goals etc ?
Maybe I am just a bad man ?
LOL
HH.
Big Jimmy. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was him on earlier with another new name
It wasnt only Hun fans that may have lost money last night with the Bookie ( Correct Score etc )…I also LOST a few Quid on the game overall.
LOL….
Now, IF ONLY we had been awarded a Penalty ( and scored ) and/or Alistair Johnston had scored in the 90th minute to force a 2 – 2 Draw then one of my Bets would have came up ?
Everton – 2 v Liverpool – 2 at odds of 20/1 was my only winning Bet last night.
I must do better !
LOL
HH
Clinko on 13th February 2025 2:00 pm
Big Jimmy. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was him on earlier with another new name
……….
You may be right mate ?
HH.
Celtic v Hibs SC tie
Saturday 8th March
7pm ko
Ridiculous
Bada
Fans don’t come into the reckoning when fixtures are decided.
Vale should have a 3 o’clock kickoff this Saturday against Notts County. Rearranged for tonight 8 o’clock kickoff. Not happy 😒
Trolls on page 1? Have you guys not got enough to worry about?
New names and negativity.csc
KLV
Very proud of my club, stellar performance against a superb side
KINGLuBO
Bada Bing
Crazy 7pm. Especially if it is 3 days before we play Athletico or Leverkusen in the second leg.
The performance was better than expected despite referee calls and switching off on marking.
One thing that struck me in recent CL games is how physically small some of the team are vs. Villa and Bayern. Just wondering if we can gradually upgrade the midfield and attackers into bigger and more athletic units.
“!!Bada Bing!! on 13th February 2025 2:13 pm
Celtic v Hibs SC tie
Saturday 8th March
7pm ko
Ridiculous”
That really is dreadful.
Initially, the Spanish ref seemed quite unaware of the stamp on Engels. VAR officials then instructed him to review the incident. That means the VAR team believed that the on-field decision was probably incorrect. The ref took an age to arrive at the wrong decision. His justification which later appeared on the screens was entirely unconvincing. What we can take from this is: in Europe ‘big teams’ will always get the big decisions.
itsabouttim
Should’ve gone to Specsavers
Bhoys were unlucky last night. I think Bayern had us playing the way teams in Scotland play against us at Paradise. Our Bhoys were chasing and harrying all night long. Who knows how the game would have changed if the first goal stood. Bayern are a fantastic team and when you look at them individually, it is scary. harry Kane is still a terrific player and his one touch layoffs and movement is brilliant. In saying all that, I was very proud of our team and their discipline at times, albeit we switched off at the corner kick, but they had tremendous spirit to not give up. Those last 15 minutes, the game was still there for us. I am so pleased for Daizen and the plaudits that he is getting as I fear he was overshadowed by Kyogo and the skill of Reo. We always looked on daizen as fast and great at closing down players, but his movement off the ball and finishing has been a class above. I think it was always there but just not used due to his position. I really don’t think I have seen a fitter player wear that beloved jersey. The important thing about last night is that the game is still not over with. No one is giving us a chance next week, except ourselves.
Proud to ba Celtic fan!
Sean
Tangboy @ 1:31
You’re right, the fans didn’t turn up but that’s because the team didn’t turn up. The GB were really buoyed up at the start but then they saw what was happening in front of them.
They reacted to the performance and that was flat until the last 15 minutes + 7.
Does the away goals rule apply at this two-legged stage of the competition or has that gone completely?