Celtic's hearts were broken on Tuesday as Bayern Munich scored in the final seconds to secure a 1-1 draw on the night and a 2-1 win aggregate win in the Champions League, dramatically securing their place in the round of 16.
The victory means that Bayern Munich will advance to the Champions League last 16, where they will face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid, while Celtic fail to win a knockout tie for the 10th consecutive time in this competition.
The first 45 minutes made for a thrilling spectacle, with Celtic heading into half time wondering how they had not found the net, as Daizen Maeda, Callum McGregor and Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn all went close early on, but Bayern also had chances of their own, most notably when Harry Kane crashed the bar just before the break.
The chances continued flowing throughout the second half, with the hosts creating more opportunities as they took control of the match, but as the game neared its close, Celtic gained momentum, and they took the lead on the night when Kuhn was played through by Maeda and slotted past Manuel Neuer, pulling the Bhoys level in the tie.
Celtic faced an onslaught from Bayern in the remaining 30 minutes of the game, with the hosts unbelievably missing a number of clear goalscoring chances, but the Bavarians were eventually awarded for their attacking play in the final seconds of the game, when substitute Alphonso Davies became the saviour, turning in from close range to secure a narrow victory and a spot in the last 16.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Brendan Rodgers will be extremely proud with the performance from his side, showing great bravery as they gave a true powerhouse of European football what will undoubtedly be one of their hardest tests of the entire season.
However, the manager will be left frustrated by a number of missed opportunities that could have sent Celtic into the next round, with the Bhoys living to regret their squandered chances as Bayern Munich scored in the final seconds.
As for Bayern Munich, Vincent Kompany will similarly be bemused by how his side failed to score until the 94th minute, having a number of wondrous chances to put the tie to bed.
Bayern's recent offensive struggles may worry the manager, as they took just two shots and failed to score against Bayer Leverkusen last time out, while Celtic managed to deny them a goal until the final seconds tonight.
Despite that, Kompany will be delighted and relieved that his side were eventually able to do the business, keeping them in the running for a spot in the Champions League final at the end of the season.
BAYERN MUNICH VS. CELTIC HIGHLIGHTS
Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn goal vs. Bayern Munich (63rd min, Bayern Munich 0-1 Celtic)
CELTIC TAKE THE LEAD IN MUNICH! 😱
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) February 18, 2025
Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn slots it past Neuer to give the away side the lead and levels the tie 👏#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/kfwYW3afYZ
Kuhn has put Celtic ahead on the night and drawn them level in the tie!
A pass forward to Maeda is misplaced, but the striker shows incredible determination, chasing down the ball in Bayern's half and managing to poke it through to Kuhn inside the box.
Kuhn collects the ball just inside the area, takes a few touches to compose himself, and calmly places it past Neuer into the bottom left corner.
Alphonso Davies goal vs. Celtic (94th min, Bayern Munich 1-1 Celtic)
ALPHONSO DAVIES PUTS BAYERN AHEAD TIE IN THE FINAL MINUTES 🤯
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) February 18, 2025
Kasper Schmeichel's excellent save isn't enough to stop the Canadian latching onto the rebound to take the lead in the tie 🙌#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/zLdSYeJ5aB
Davies has scored in the final seconds, heartbreak for Celtic!
Leroy Sane delivers an excellent cross into the area, and Leon Goretzka charges in to meet it with a diving header, but Kasper Schmeichel makes an incredible save to deny the midfielder.
The keeper is only able to parry the ball into the middle of the box, and Davies is fastest to react as the defender converts from close range to send Bayern into the next round.
MAN OF THE MATCH - KASPER SCHMEICHEL
© Imago
Schmeichel may have been on the losing side, but the goalkeeper delivered an exceptional performance, keeping Celtic in the tie single-handedly at times.
The goalkeeper made nine saves throughout the match, including four from inside the box, while he was extremely unlucky that his phenomenal stop on Goretzka's late header was met by Davies before his defenders could react.
Joshua Kimmich also deserves mention for the hosts, dominating proceedings for Bayern Munich as he took 139 touches and made 114 passes, proving a key player in their eventual victory.
BAYERN MUNICH VS. CELTIC MATCH STATS
Possession: Bayern Munich 67%-33% Celtic
Shots: Bayern Munich 23-5 Celtic
Shots on target: Bayern Munich 10-3 Celtic
Corners: Bayern Munich 7-0 Celtic
Fouls: Bayern Munich 2-9 Celtic
BEST STATS
Nicolas Kühn is the first German to score against Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout round game since Lukas Podolski for Arsenal in March 2014. 🇩🇪#UCL pic.twitter.com/lGCN1hptzI
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 18, 2025
Joshua Kimmich for Bayern vs. Celtic:
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 18, 2025
◉ Most touches (139)
◉ Most passes completed (114/119)
◉ Most passes in final third (46)
◉ Most possessions won (8)
◉= Most crosses (8)
◉ Most chances created (6)
He's the first player to create 30 chances in the Champions League... pic.twitter.com/2JqLzixTAa
WHAT NEXT?
Bayern Munich now look ahead to Friday, when they will find out whether they face Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the last 16, while preparations will also be underway for their matchup with third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday in the Bundesliga.
As for Celtic, they will shift focus back to their defence of the Scottish Premiership title, with Hibernian, Aberdeen and St Mirren awaiting them over the coming weeks.
Ellis Stevens
