As the second leg of Celtic’s Champions League playoff against Bayern Munich approached its end, the Scottish champions were on the verge of forcing extra time, leading 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from Nicolas Kuhn. With 90 minutes played, the team’s relentless pressure had rattled the Bundesliga leaders, leaving them struggling to respond.
Despite several missed opportunities in the first half, Celtic remained determined and pushed forward until the final moments. However, in the dying seconds of injury time, Alphonso Davies scrambled in a goal after Kasper Schmeichel, Celtic’s goalkeeper, had initially saved Leon Goretzka’s header, sending Bayern through with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Following the heartbreaking conclusion, Schmeichel expressed feelings of frustration and disappointment, praising his teammates for their heroic and brave performance. “Football is a cruel game sometimes,” he noted, reflecting on the match’s intense emotions. “I was loving every minute, so another 30 would have been amazing.”
Manager Brendan Rodgers lauded his squad’s fearlessness in facing one of Europe’s elite teams, stating, “We were outstanding, played without any fear… I can only take immense pride from the performance – the guys gave everything.”
Just a few months prior, Celtic faced heavy criticism after a devastating 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, but they regrouped and secured crucial victories against RB Leipzig and Young Boys, along with respectable draws against Atalanta, Club Brugge, and Dinamo Zagreb.
Despite their earlier struggles, the match against Bayern demonstrated their significant progress. Schmeichel remarked on the evolving narrative: “There’s so much disappointment, but being away to Bayern and feeling let down by a draw says a lot about our growth.”
James McFadden, a former Scotland forward, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Celtic proved people wrong… They will be gutted but also proud, knowing they could have won this tie.”
Looking ahead, Rodgers highlighted the foundations being laid for Celtic to compete with Europe’s top clubs in the future. With only Aston Villa managing to defeat Celtic in the league since their loss to Dortmund, he expressed optimism about their continental experiences helping them grow stronger.
“We learned valuable lessons along the way,” he said. “Now we have to finish the season strong and work towards being a seasoned club that can challenge and hurt formidable opponents like Bayern Munich.”
Credit: BBC Sport
