Celtic had talked up the visit of “European royalty” in Glasgow, of “hurting” Bayern Munich under the fierce lights and thunderous atmosphere of a big Champions League night at Parkhead. Then the England captain rolled into town and Celtic unfurled the red carpet, leaving Harry Kane unmarked at the back post to put Bayern in control of this Champions League play-off tie. Celtic knew they likely had to take a lead to Munich to have a chance of progress, and now a minor miracle is required after their first Champions League knockout tie since 2013 ended in defeat.
Brendan Rodgers had been effusive in his praise of Kane and Celtic did not need to be told of the danger of the poacher with more Champions League goals than any other Englishman, least of all Kasper Schmeichel. Kane had put more goals past Schmeichel than any other goalkeeper and his 19th against the Dane for both club and country could not have been simpler. As Kane lurked in his trademark position at the back post, Joshua Kimmich’s inswinging cross found the striker on his own. Celtic switched off, with defenders left pointing to each other. It was unforgivable and Kane was typically clinical.
“The corner was disappointing,” Rodgers acknowledged. “One of the world’s best strikers shouldn’t be left free in the box, that’s for sure.”
Kane 36th Champions League goal in 52 appearances ensures that Bayern have a foot in the last-16, but the tie is not over yet. Daizen Maeda did not give up and his late consolation on the night, to pull Celtic back within one ahead of Tuesday’s return in Munich, means there is still some life in the visitors. Rodgers said his players will take belief from how they responded to falling two goals behind. “It's a big challenge, we know that, but it's still a possibility,” he said. “You know you have to suffer at this level but you have to have the ability to come back and that's what makes me proud at the end of the game.”
Celtic may rue that the big moments in their most important Champions League match in 12 years went against them. An unbelievable start, when Nicolas Kuhn scored inside 30 seconds, was too good to be true and the offside flag ruled out an explosive start. The timing of Michael Olise’s thunderbolt on the stroke of half-time was cruel, and was doubled by Kane soon after the restart. Celtic will ask why Arne Engels did not receive a penalty after Dayot Upamecano landed on his foot in the box.
Celtic will need more of the spirit that led to their late rally when they travel to Munich. “We've showed we can play,” Rodgers said. “We have to have that aggressive mindset. We're still right in the tie.”
But Bayern have a formidable home record and Vincent Kompany’s side did not have to reach top gear to claim victory at Celtic Park. The goals from Olise and Kane, either side of half time, threatened to suck the life out of the hosts. "I know this place, I know it transcends performance sometimes,” Kompany said. “We dealt really well with it for long spells of the game, didn't let the game go crazy. The last 10 minutes we had to defend and we did that well.”
Celtic Park was electric at kick-off. “You can feel in those moments, if the game comes alive it is a special place,” Kompany added. And how close Celtic came to increasing the spine-tingling volume by a further notch. Barely 30 seconds had passed when Celtic flew forward and Kuhn thrashed a low shot past Manuel Neuer from the edge of the box. But the celebrations were cut short almost as quickly, with Adam Idah offside and deemed to have been blocking Neuer’s view as he ran across goal.
For Celtic, a decent half’s work was undone with its final touch. Despite having almost all of the possession, Bayern had been stodgy in their efforts to break Celtic down. Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala had been denied space and Kane starved of the ball. The exception in Bayern’s formidable front four was its newest arrival. Olise, the former Crystal Palace winger, plays off the right wing with a wonderful lightness, shining in this team of superstars, but his shot past Schmeichel was ferocious.
Undone at the end of the first half, Bayern looked to the tie beyond Celtic at the very start of the second. Celtic were let off the hook before half time when an unmarked Kane put wide from an inswinging corner from Olise from the opposite side, so to leave the striker free for a second time in his favourite position was indefensible. Kane would not have believed the room he was left with to volley in Kimmich’s corner, scoring in Glasgow for the third time in as many appearances after twice netting at Hampden for England.
There had actually been a touch of fortune with how Olise had wriggled past Greg Taylor for the opener, with the ball rebounding off the Celtic defender’s legs and into his path after the winger had controlled. But the image of Kane being afforded the freedom of Celtic Park will haunt the hosts. The sight of referee Jesus Gil Manzano being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR after Upamecano had trodden on Engels’ foot in the box, only to not award a penalty, added to Celtic’s frustration when they needed an earlier lifeline.
Maeda restored some hope, at least. Celtic’s top scorer was there to pounce on the six-yard line Hyunjun Yang nodded back across goal. Maeda had already squirmed a shot past the far post after rounding Neuer and the great German goalkeeper and his defence had to withstand a few more nervy moments, notably to save late from Alistair Johnston. Though Celtic will need more than that if they are to mount an improbable comeback in Munich.
