Bayern Munich secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday. The match had a tense finish as the Scottish side pushed them to the limit.
Michael Olise opened the scoring for the German champions with a stunning long-range effort just before halftime. Harry Kane doubled their advantage early in the second half with a clinical volley. However, Celtic did not give up easily. Daizen Maeda’s close-range header in the 79th minute set up a thrilling finale.
Celtic thought they had taken the lead within the first minute. Nicolas Kühn found the net. However, VAR ruled the goal offside. Undeterred, they pressed Bayern aggressively, making life difficult for the Bundesliga giants despite their dominance in possession.
Bayern’s breakthrough came just before the interval. Olise brilliantly controlled a deep cross from Dayot Upamecano. He rifled a shot into the top corner, leaving the home crowd stunned. Just minutes after the restart, Kane took advantage of a lapse in Celtic’s defense. He met Joshua Kimmich’s corner with a perfectly timed volley. This made it 2-0. The goal was historic, making Kane the first English player to score 60 goals in UEFA club competitions.
Celtic, however, responded with intensity. They were denied a penalty in the 57th minute after a contentious VAR review. In the 74th minute, Maeda came agonizingly close to scoring. His shot rolled across the face of an empty goal. He finally got his reward five minutes later, heading in from close range to give Celtic hope.
Bayern had to dig deep in the closing stages as the hosts launched wave after wave of attacks. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was called into action in stoppage time, making a crucial save to deny Celtic an equalizer.
Reflecting on the performance, Kane acknowledged Bayern’s struggles. “There were moments we could have done better, and we’ll need to improve for next week. But we scored at the right times and showed resilience at the end,” the England captain said.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers praised his team’s late surge. “The last 25 minutes, we pressed them hard, played with aggression, and showed what we’re capable of. At 2-1, Bayern were hanging on. We’ve got one more shot,” he said, looking ahead to the return leg in Munich.
Bayern is eyeing a place in the Champions League final on home soil at the Allianz Arena. They will be eager to finish the job next week. But with Celtic proving they can trouble the German giants, the second leg promises to be another thrilling encounter.
