Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Celtic
Bayern Munich took a big step towards the Round of 16 by securing a crucial away win against Celtic, ending the Scottish club’s impressive 32-match unbeaten streak at home.
In a thrilling Champions League clash at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, Bayern claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Michael Olise gave Bayern the lead just before halftime, and Harry Kane doubled the advantage early in the second half. Daizen Maeda pulled one back for Celtic late on, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their first home defeat in a long time.
Celtic now face a tough challenge—they must win in Munich to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
A Frantic Start and Missed Chances
Celtic had the ball in the net within the first minute, but Nicolas Kühn’s goal was ruled out for offside as Adam Idah was ahead of Manuel Neuer.
The Scottish champions applied intense pressure in the early moments, but Vincent Kompany’s Bayern gradually took control and launched waves of attacks.
In the 31st minute, Leroy Sané had a golden opportunity to put Bayern ahead when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he failed to take a shot.
Twelve minutes later, Kane also squandered a great chance, failing to direct his header on target from an Olise cross.
Bayern Take Control
Bayern finally broke the deadlock in the 45th minute through Olise. The French midfielder initially lost control while receiving a pass, but a fortunate deflection off Celtic defender Greg Taylor allowed him to regain possession and curl a beautiful left-footed shot into the net.
Celtic’s struggles were evident—they failed to register a single shot in the first half, something they hadn’t experienced in the Champions League since a match against Barcelona in March 2008.
Just minutes into the second half, Kane doubled Bayern’s lead. A deflected Sané shot earned Bayern a corner, and from Joshua Kimmich’s delivery, the England captain found himself unmarked at the far post, volleying in clinically.
Kane has now scored 73 goals in 74 games for Bayern across all competitions.
Celtic Fight Back
In the 72nd minute, Bayern nearly extended their lead further, but Kasper Schmeichel made a fine save to deny Serge Gnabry.
Just seven minutes later, Celtic reignited their hopes as Maeda pulled one back. After receiving a pass from Yang Hyun-jun inside the box, the Japanese forward calmly slotted the ball into the net—Celtic’s first shot on target of the game.
With confidence growing, Brendan Rodgers’ side threw everything forward in search of an equalizer. Celtic had won their last two home matches with dominant 6-0 and 5-0 scorelines, but Bayern’s resolute defense held firm.
In stoppage time, Alistair Johnston fired a powerful shot, but Neuer reacted brilliantly to deny him, ensuring Bayern’s victory.
Elsewhere in the Champions League
In other first-leg playoff matches, Club Brugge defeated Atalanta 2-1, Benfica edged out 10-man Monaco 1-0, and Feyenoord secured a narrow 1-0 win against AC Milan.
