S Poddar
If Bayern Munich wanted to display their resolve to make it to the Champions League final at home, they did so in very unorthodox fashion. Celtic, however, left with their heads held high despite a bitter finish in Munich.
Celtic’s display will be talked about for ages as one of the best ever by a Scottish side on away soil in living memory. They battled with courage, leading from the second half and forcing Bayern to the wire. Their hopes were crushed at the last however, when Alphonso Davies’s haphazard goal robbed them of extra-time. Cameron Carter-Vickers’ clearance attempt ricocheted off Davies at point-blank range, curving into the net with 30 seconds remaining on the clock. It was a devastating experience for Celtic, who had developed in this Champions League competition with each match. Tonight, they finally came of age, only to be denied by an heartbreaking climax.
Bayern were coming into the game with reminders of their heart-wrenching penalty shootout loss to Chelsea in the 2012 final fresh in their memory. That evening, in front of their home crowd, the trophy slipped from their grasp. Vincent Kompany, their manager now, fretted anxiously on the bench as his players flirted with another catastrophic departure. Celtic, while eventually knocked out on aggregate by one goal, might have been justifiably proud of their performance, even if the hard-won nature of the defeat was all-consuming.
Skepticism had existed as to whether Harry Kane would play for Bayern, having picked up a facial injury against Bayer Leverkusen. But the England captain was well enough to be included in the lineup and asserted his presence early. Within a decade, he had Kasper Schmeichel into action with a deflected shot. By then, both sides had already created opportunities. Serge Gnabry was unable to guide a header on target from a Michael Olise cross, and Callum McGregor squandered an opportunity after a late run from the midfield.
Celtic, who were playing with confidence and aggression, had created golden opportunities that should have seen them take the lead. Jota’s astute work on the left created a textbook pass for Nicolas Kühn, whose effort was saved by Manuel Neuer but heroically cleared off the line by Raphaël Guerreiro. Arne Engels soon sent in a teasing cross that just evaded Daizen Maeda’s outstretched boot. As Brendan Rodgers went on to bemoan those squandered chances, Dayot Upamecano’s wayward clearance fell directly at Engels’ feet. The Belgian midfielder teed up Maeda, who had more time than he knew but sent the ball over the bar.
Bayern seemed shaken by Celtic’s incessant pressing. The visitors, playing calmly in possession, dominated large periods of the first half. Joshua Kimmich shot wide as Bayern tried to calm their supporters, who were becoming increasingly agitated. The home team’s display was devoid of the authority one would expect from a side of such quality, and their lack of composure was evident when Gnabry, rather than playing in Leon Goretzka clear through on goal, played the ball tamely into Schmeichel’s grasp.
Celtic had Bayern stumbling, making them look remarkably unremarkable. Kane almost turned the game on its head before halftime, hammering a shot against the crossbar after being set up by a cut-back from Josip Stanišić. When the whistle was blown for the break, it was the Celtic fans, not the Bayern fans, who were making the most noise.
The hosts were still trying to get over Kane’s non-appearance for the second half when Reo Hatate missed a great opportunity. The midfielder lingered too long in the box, giving Bayern time to regroup and clear the threat. Bayern hit back with Schmeichel producing a smart save from Goretzka, but they still lacked genuine attacking flow. Rodgers responded with a tactical substitution, introducing Adam Idah for Jota, whose removal was a fitness issue rather than a performance one. Bayern, despite having more possession, were not being able to breach Celtic’s organized defense. Olise’s tame attempt, easily collected by Schmeichel, encapsulated their travails.
Then arrived the moment Celtic had been fantasizing about. Maeda drove forward hard, winning the ball and feeding in Kühn. Even when Kim Min-jae initially made contact with the pass, his interception was half-hearted, and Kühn was able to take control. The ex-Bayern man maintained his cool and slipped past Neuer, leaving the away Celtic support in raptures. Bayern, hoping for a reaction, went to their substitutes. Kompany brought on Leroy Sané and Davies in the place of underperforming Gnabry and Guerreiro in hope for some spark.
Maeda also caught a glimpse of goal, but his header was easily collected by Neuer. Sané’s first real contribution at the other end saw him fashion a perilous cross into the box, but nobody took it. Goretzka headed a Kimmich pass wide before Olise’s penalty claims, after a tussle with Jeffrey Schlupp, were dismissed. The atmosphere in the Allianz Arena was tense, and Bayern were more and more playing hopeful balls into the box.
When Schmeichel saved a deflected Kimmich cross, Celtic seemed almost certain to cling on. Bayern’s constant corners put the visitors under relentless pressure, but they dug in and refused to give in. Then, in a brutal twist of fate, Carter-Vickers tried to clear the ball, but it rebounded off Davies and into the net. The Celtic players slumped to the ground in absolute despair, their acts of heroism reduced to naught by the most brutal of misfortunes.
For the neutrals, it was a thriller. For Celtic, heartbreak at its most pure. They had battled toe to toe with a European powerhouse, silencing one of the toughest in world football, to be robbed by the narrowest of margins. Those who have a heart couldn’t help but sympathize with them.
