Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich: Kompany's Side Survive Late Scare To Secure First-Leg Lead
Bayern Munich survived a late rally from Celtic to win 2-1 in Glasgow and take a slender Champions League play-off lead back to Germany.
Michael Olise's stunning strike gave the Bavarians the lead before half-time and a Harry Kane volley shortly into the second half put Bayern in full control, but a Daizen Maeda header put the pressure on with just over 10 minutes to go.
🪄 Jamal strutting his stuff at Celtic Park. 🪄
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) February 12, 2025
💫 70’ #CELFCB 0-2 💫 pic.twitter.com/A2HUuClJIv
Bayern Munich Takes Full Control Of The Tie
Celtic thought they had taken the lead after just 25 seconds when Nicolas Kuhn's shot from range evaded Manuel Neuer, but the flag was soon up with Adam Idah clearly impeding Neuer's view whilst in an offside position.
Despite Celtic thinking they had taken such an early lead, Bayern were by far the better team as the first half wore on. The likes of Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Leroy Sane posed a constant threat, although clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
That was until Olise was released by a long ball, cut inside his marker and released a vicious strike into the near top corner on the stroke of half-time. It was a goal Bayern deserved on the balance of play, but the timing was awful from a Celtic perspective.
The second half started perfectly for Vincent Kompany's side, with Kane being left completely unmarked at a corner to volley in from close range.
Bayern Loses Control As Celtic Apply The Pressure
Bayern allowed Celtic to grow back into the contest and the Scottish side set up a grandstand finish with Maeda's header in the 79th minute. Suddenly Celtic Park believed that another goal was coming and Bayern were rocking.
79' - GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 12, 2025
DAIZEN MAEDA ⚡️
Follow the action live on our Match Centre 📲 https://t.co/VR5xlmjIsE
️🟩1️⃣-2️⃣⬛️
#CelticBayernMunich | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/YuYJ3vzc0s
The chances were all falling Celtic's way in the final 10 minutes and with seven minutes added on, the noisy locals were willing the ball into the back of the net, but the equalizer never came.
The return leg takes place at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, February 18.
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Euan is an experienced soccer writer who has been featured by The Guardian, MARCA, 90min, Sempre Milan and many more similar publications. He secured a first-class degree in journalism at Liverpool John Moores University and his career has seen him primarily focus on European football, developing an in-depth knowledge of multiple clubs and leagues in the process.